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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24505894">The boy in the mirror</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Isakprettykitty/pseuds/Isakprettykitty'>Isakprettykitty</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>SKAM (Norway)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, Angst, Fluff and Angst, Ghost!Even, Happy Ending, Humor, Idiots in Love, Love, M/M, Parallel Universe, Prisoner!Even, Romance, SKAM - Freeform</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 06:28:44</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>32,802</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24505894</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Isakprettykitty/pseuds/Isakprettykitty</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Isak doesn't believe in ghosts.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Eva Kviig Mohn/Jonas Noah Vasquez, Even Bech Næsheim/Isak Valtersen, Magnus Fossbakken/Vilde Lien Hellerud</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>67</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. skyggegutt</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Marianne : Isak's adoptive mother<br/>Léa : Isak’s little sister<br/>Jonas and Vilde : isak’s adopted siblings</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Wake up, sweetheart!"</p><p>The voice was clear and very, very loud and most definitely way too cheerful for this ungodly hour.</p><p>Isak groaned and rolled over, burying his face in the pillows, fighting the urge to tell his adoptive mother to 'shut the fuck up', even though he was very tempted to, because somehow he didn't think that she wouldn't have been too happy about the use of profanities. The digital numbers of his alarm clock were glowing in the dark. Five am. He'd only fallen asleep an hour ago. Just as he was about to tune her out and resume his much needed sleep, another person spoke up.</p><p>"I could kick him if you want."</p><p>"Nei, takk, Jonas. I think that would be a bit drastic."</p><p>There was a disappointed huff. "Or I could poke him?" he suggested, and really, not a second later, Isak was treated to the sensation of a finger repeatedly jabbing into his ribcage.</p><p>It was surprising how much Jonas resembled a child in kindergarten rather than a seventeen-year-old teenager sometimes. Mostly when he wanted to annoy the crap out of his adopted brother. Which worked every time. Without opening his eyes, Isak lifted his arm to slap his hand away. He missed, but at least he hit Jonas' head instead, which was not only way more satisfactory but also actually made him stop. "I hate you," he mumbled, irritated.</p><p>Jonas yelped indignantly when he hit him, and then pretended to be shocked at his words like the little drama queen he was. Isak imagined he added some heart-clutching for the full effect. "Oh, how you wound me," he cried out, loudly. "How will I ever survive the pain of being so maligned?"</p><p>His dramatic speech was negated by the rumble of laughter he tried – and failed – to suppress. The sheer volume of it all had the desired effect, though: there was no way Isak could have still been asleep with him standing next to his bed and screaming bloody murder like that.</p><p>"Oh, shut up," Isak muttered, defiantly pressing his eyes shut with even more force. He heard Jonas shift beside him, and suddenly his blanket was gone and the cold air hit him like a hurricane. He bolted upright and threw his pillow into the general directed he suspected Jonas was standing. It hit him in the face. "You asshole!"</p><p>"Boys, language!" Marianne said sternly while Jonas was busy laughing his ass off.</p><p>Damn. Isak had forgotten she was still in the room. It was easy to forget about everyone else when Jonas was around, and not necessarily only because you had to look out for him doing something incredibly stupid or because of him being a loud-mouthed brat most of the time. It's just that as soon as he walked into a room, everyone's attention was immediately directed towards him. Some people just had this kind of gift, Isak guessed, and Jonas was one of them. The only other person he knew who succeeded in getting noticed next to him was his adopted sister Vilde.</p><p>No one ever noticed Isak, and he was infinitely glad about it.</p><p>He did his best to throw his adopted brother the angriest and most intimidating death glare he could manage, but it didn't have the effect he wanted, because a) Jonas was never intimidated by anything and b) Isak doubted he looked very threatening with bed hair and dark rings caused by insomnia under his eyes.</p><p>"Get up, Isak," his adoptive mother said. "We are leaving in ten minutes."</p><p>Great.</p><p>He scrambled out of bed – or rather, from the mattress he'd been sleeping on - and got dressed. Meanwhile, Jonas was leaning against the wall, regarding him with a mixture of amusement and some sort of faint curiosity. "You look like shit," he told Isak.</p><p>"Takk. Always so charming."</p><p>"Jonas is right," Vilde said as she marched into the room. "You look like a zombie."</p><p>"So would you if you'd only slept one hour," Isak grumbled.</p><p>As he picked up his backpack, he looked around his room one last time. Or rather, the remains of his room. There was not much left that made it his room: all his belongings, few as they were, were crammed into cardboard boxes which the moving company would transport to their new home. Most of the furniture was gone, too, most of it having been sold or thrown away.</p><p>Saying goodbye to all of that was a lot easier than he had thought. Not that he really wanted to leave and go to Oslo, but there wasn't really anything that kept him in Odda. either.</p><p>Vilde and Jonas waited for him in the corridor, and they went downstairs together. In the dark, Isak nearly would have tripped over a little figure curled up on the last step. He shook his head. Léa must have been awake at some point, seeing that she was dressed and everything, but she must have fallen asleep again while waiting for his siblings to arrive. Isak envied her for her ability to sleep anywhere, at any given time. Sighing, he bent down to pick her up, trying not to wake her. She mumbled something incoherent and proceeded to bury her face in Isak's sweater. She didn't even budge when their adoptive mother honked impatiently.</p><p>"Okay, I think we're ready to go. Vilde, Jonas, you got everything?"</p><p>They nodded. Jonas took Isak's bag and together they shuffled out of the front door, got into the car and set off to the airport. From the corner of his eye, Isak could see both Vilde and Jonas turn their head to look back, staring at their house until they went round the corner and it disappeared out of their view.</p><p>Isak didn't look back.</p><p> </p><p>~</p><p> </p><p>A Few hours later, he stood in an almost equally empty room, but this one was entirely unfamiliar and, much to his disdain, pretty much covered in dust and cobwebs. The thought of spiders inhabiting the same room as him made him shudder, and he briefly wondered if there was some way that he could talk one of his siblings into cleaning the room for him without making a complete fool out of himself. There probably wasn't, but it would be worth the humiliation.</p><p>The room was quite big and luminous in contrast to the rather dark ones in the rest of the house, which was nice. The large windows that reached down to the floor were facing towards the south-east, letting in the light of the late afternoon sun. With the sunrays being dispersed by the dust floating through the air it looked rather like a misty, but quite charming, especially with the antique cupboard and bed standing at the walls, looking as if they'd been taken out of another century. A part of him wished he would have gotten to choose his own furniture, but this one was alright, he guessed. He rather liked the dark wood the items were made of.</p><p>What he didn't like so much was the huge mirror on the opposite wall.</p><p>"Do you like it?" his adoptive mother asked behind him. "I was told this room had the best view. And, of course, it has the en-suite bathroom."</p><p>She sounded almost excited, which was very out of character for her. He supposed she was trying to make them all feel better about the move. Personally, he found it rather annoying (she wasn't very good at cheering people up, either), but he didn't want to be childish, nor did he want to disappoint her. So he carefully schooled his expression and searched for something positive to say about his new room without lying; his adoptive mother always knew when he was lying. Everyone always knew when he was lying. His face gave him away every time.</p><p>"It's...bigger than the one back in Odda." he said, tentatively.</p><p>That wasn't much of a positive statement, but it seemed to be good enough for Marianne. "I knew you would like it."</p><p>"It looks as if it had been a lumber-room during the last century," Vilde, who had, as always, appeared out of nowhere, commented.</p><p>"Well, I guess it does need a bit of cleaning."</p><p>"A bit?" Vilde snorted. "Isak will be lucky if he doesn't get eaten by the dust bunnies. Have fun cleaning."</p><p>"Takk, Vilde, for always being so positive and supportive." Isak rolled his eyes.</p><p>"Just saying it how it is," she replied, shrugging. "But seriously, why is this room so dirty? The others are perfectly clean. Has no one used this room recently?"</p><p>"No one has used this room in a while. People tend to avoid it."</p><p>Isak turned around to see the former housekeeper, who had been giving them a tour through the house and was still hanging around to officially hand over the keys, standing in the doorway. He frowned. "Why?"</p><p>"They say this room is haunted."</p><p>"...right." Isak's voice was sceptic.</p><p>Vilde started to laugh. "People still believe in this shit?"</p><p>The housekeeper stiffened, but remained silent. Isak watched him, frowning. He himself had never believed in superstitions or ghosts or anything like that, but the old man seemed to be quite convinced, despite his careful choice of words. Frankly, Isak thought it was stupid. Logic and reason defied everything vaguely spiritual, in his opinion, and he had always been a head-person. This blathering was just idiotic.</p><p>"So, what's the story behind this?" Vilde asked, curious, but still grinning. "Will there be headless knights coming to chop Isak's head off? Is there a poltergeist that will pull his hair?"</p><p>"Nothing, of that kind, Miss, I can assure you," the man said, albeit still hesitant.</p><p>"What is it, then?"</p><p>"Vilde," Marianne cut her off sternly. "Leave the poor man alone. It's just a bunch of scary stories." She turned towards Isak. "If you want another room, though-"</p><p>Isak rolled his eyes. "I'll be fine."</p><p>"I'm just curious," Vilde went on. "Please, tell me the story?"</p><p>The housekeeper swallowed. "There isn't much to tell. Some former owners of this house who slept in this room were convinced that there was a presence of something strange in here is all. Something that is locked in and cannot get out. Something...not exactly human. That is all I can tell you."</p><p>"So...have you ever seen the ghost?"</p><p>"Of course not," the man replied stiffly. From the way his eye twitched Isak could tell that he was lying. "It's just a story. No person was ever harmed in any way. It did make some people uncomfortable, though." He looked at Isak appraisingly. "If you'd prefer one of the guestrooms-"</p><p>"I'm fine," he interrupted the man, more sharply than he had originally intended. Did the old man actually expect him to believe this crap? Or did he just want to test whether Isak was a whimp? "That's a nice story, I guess, but I really don't believe in ghosts. So can we end this conversation now? This is getting rather ridiculous and I'd like to get some cleaning done before I go to bed. Isak took another look around. "Well, and maybe this," he said, indicating his head towards the mirror. "Can we throw that out?"</p><p>The old housekeeper flinched visibly.</p><p>"But why?" his adoptive mother asked, surprised. "The mirror is beautiful. It's very old, too, and probably worth a fortune."</p><p>"Well, I don't want it," Isak replied brusquely.</p><p>"You could need it, though," Vilde snickered. "Maybe if you looked into a mirror more often it would help improve your fashion sense."</p><p>He resisted the urge to stick out his tongue. "I don't need it," he said. "I'd say you can have it, but you are vain enough."</p><p>The thing was, Isak had always hated looking at his own reflection, mostly because he was almost painfully self-conscious. He was well aware of all his flaws – he didn't need a huge mirror in his bedroom constantly reminding him of them.</p><p>"I'm sure we can find another place for it," Marianne assured him. "Or get rid of it. But we will deal with this later, when everything is unpacked and we know what else we are going to throw away."</p><p>Isak grimaced inwardly, but nodded. "Fine." He guessed he could cope with the mirror for a couple of days.</p><p>When his adoptive mother, Vilde and the housekeeper finally decided to leave him alone, Isak went to search for a broom, a mop and some cleaning cloth. It took him nearly half an hour to find one in the multitude of boxes standing in every possible corner of the house, so to say he was in a bad mood when he finally started to clean would have been an extreme understatement. The lack of sleep the night prior and the prospect of encountering his phobia-inducing eight-legged nightmare didn't help, either. Nor did the cloud of dust engulfing him when he started to broom the floor. Isak kept coughing through the whole procedure, and had to stop more than once to get the dirt out of his eyes.</p><p>As he scrubbed the top of the cupboard ferociously, trying to rid it of the dirt and grease that had accumulated over the years, Isak saw a shadow of a person in the corner of his eyes. He looked at the mirror, but there was nothing to be seen that wasn't supposed to be seen. It had probably been Vilde walking past the room. </p><p>Just when he was about to turn his attention back to his task, he saw it flash again. Frowning, he turned around to look at the door. Vilde was nowhere to be seen. He hadn't heard her walk past, either, but that wasn't unusual – years of sneaking out of the window at night to go to some parties had given his friend incredible stealth. "Vilde?" he called our questioningly, but no one answered. Either she had already returned to her room, which was just down the corridor, or he had imagined it after all.</p><p>Within the next three hours, Isak scrubbed and cleaned until his muscles hurt and the room was nearly shining like polished boots. Luckily, he didn't come face to face with any spiders, and as he examined his work he felt for the first time as if this room could actually be comfortable and cosy. Maybe.</p><p>"Hei," Jonas said, poking his head in. "You want some take-out?"</p><p>Isak shook his head. "Not hungry."</p><p>Jonas raised his eyebrows. "You sure?"</p><p>Isak grinned. "Ja. Takk for the offer. I'm really not hungry, just tired. I think I'll start unpacking a couple of boxes and then hit the sack. I didn't really get any sleep last night."</p><p>"Fine." He strolled off without another word.</p><p>Apparently there was no such thing as 'helping your siblings carrying the heavy cardboard boxes to the second floor'. Sighing, Isak left the room and trudged down the stairs. There were only a few boxes left by now, so it seemed that the other family members had put their time to good use as well. He searched a while until he found the box with the most important things, brought it upstairs and started to unpack, sorting his clothes into the closet. As he stepped back, he caught sight of a shadow moving in the mirror.</p><p>Isak froze. His eyes darted to the door, which was closed – there was no way he had seen the reflection of someone walking by this time. Carefully, he took a step towards the mirror, staring at it intently.</p><p>There was nothing to be seen. Just his own reflection, staring back at him with wide green eyes.</p><p>Isak shook his head. Come on, don't be ridiculous. There's nothing unusual here. It was just a figment of your imagination, resulting from the lack of sleep.</p><p>He blinked and rubbed his eyes. Sleep. Sleep sounded like a good idea. He needed some sleep. His mind was playing tricks on him, that was all. He was probably already half-asleep, otherwise there was no way these stupid stories would have any impact on him. He was only thinking about it because his brain didn't function correctly anymore thanks to the sleep deprivation. That was all.</p><p>Giving the mirror and the room one more excruciating look and then shaking his head at his own stupidity, Isak pulled out his pyjamas and got changed, climbed under the thin sheets and pressed his eyes shut.</p><p>Sleep. He needed sleep.</p><p>But somehow, he couldn't shake off the feeling that someone was watching him.</p><p>"Stop it, Valtersen," he murmured. "You're not a five year old child believing that there is a monster under your bed. You're being ridiculous."</p><p>He rolled onto his side, trying to make himself comfortable. It didn't work. The weariness didn't disappear, like it sometimes did when he tried to sleep and was suddenly wide awake, but as much as he tossed and turned, sleep wouldn't come. Eventually, he lay back on his back again, staring at the ceiling, thinking that maybe he should try to count sheep, except that that had never worked for him before. He groaned. Maybe he should go to Jonas' room and ask his adopted brother to knock him out (which would be the immediate consequence of waking him up at that hour anyway).</p><p>Suddenly, he heard a shuffle that was definitely not a product of his drowsy mind. He tensed, but only silence followed. In the end, he passed it off as nothing. Sure, he had been convinced the sound had come from his left, which was a little strange, but in the end it was probably just one of his siblings moving about in their rooms.</p><p>Isak closed his eyes again. About half an hour later, just as he was about to drift off into sleep, finally, he heard the shuffles again.</p><p>This time, he sat up and turned on the lights.</p><p>And froze.</p><p>A face looked back at him from the mirror, apparently startled by the sudden flash of light. A perfect face with a pale skin, blue eyes and blonde hair.</p><p>As much as Isak wanted to believe that this was just a dream, he knew deep inside that this was indeed reality.</p><p>There was a man in the mirror, and that man was not him.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. spøkelse</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Isak could'nt  move. He just kept on staring at the man in the mirror with wide eyes, like a victim in front of a predator. The boy on the other side returned the look, tilting his head to the side and examining him with a look of mild curiosity on his face. He wanted nothing more than to recoil, but his muscles wouldn't obey. The room started to flicker before his eyes, light spots dancing all over it, and his head felt like mush.</p><p>"Halla." A melodic voice drifted through the air and reached his ears, unfamiliar and soft and sweet like honey. "Breathe, kitten." </p><p>Isak nearly choked on the breath he hadn't realised he had been holding while he sucked in the cold air. He coughed for about two minutes until his lungs finally went back to working normally, and the dizziness disappeared. Pressing his eyes shut, Isak counted to ten and hoped that when he opened them again the boy – the illusion, thing, whatever it was – would be gone.</p><p>"I am well aware that I evoke very special reactions in people, but I do think that no one has ever been so agape." </p><p>"What do people usually do when they see you, then?" Isak asked, still not opening his eyes. </p><p>This is insane. You're only dreaming. You're having a conversation with someone who doesn't exist. Stop it, stop it now! Wake up! </p><p>"They scream." </p><p>Isak opened one eye, peeked at the mirror and closed it again. The face was still there. As surreptitiously as possible, he moved to pinch himself. It hurt. Did that mean he was awake, then? Did it hurt when you pinched yourself in a dream? Either the boy in the mirror had seen his movement or he had anticipated his reaction. </p><p>"You're not dreaming," he stated matter-of-factly. "You're awake. You might just as well open your eyes." </p><p>"That's impossible," Isak replied, still refusing to blink his eyes open. "I don't believe in ghosts." </p><p>"Says the boy talking to a face in a mirror," the boy commented dryly. "I'd say you can either open your eyes accept that this is reality or you might want to consider that you have gone insane." </p><p>"I'm dreaming." There was a heavy sigh. </p><p>"Open your pretty eyes. You know you're not dreaming." Isak opened his eyes. "Now, that's better." </p><p>There was a small pause during which the face in the mirror continued to examine him thoroughly and Isak wished this wasn't happening to him. Eventually, curiosity got the better of him, though – once he was sure the boy wouldn't jump out of the mirror and strangle him or something. Maybe he should have watched more fantasy movies when he was a kid, then maybe his knowledge on supernatural beings would be broader. Then again, he couldn't imagine these films got anything right, so this knowledge probably wouldn't prove to be significantly helpful. He leaned forward to get a better look at the creature while still maintaining a certain safe distance. The boy looked perfectly human. His blond hair was spiked up wildly. There was actually not only the face – Isak could see a white T-Shirt now and assumed that if the mirror had been reaching down to the ground, he would have found that there was an actual full body behind the glass. In the glass. Whatever. </p><p>"Okay," he began slowly, "who are you and what the fuck are you doing in my bedroom?" </p><p>"Well," the boy said, "technically I'm not in your bedroom. Also, this was not very polite." </p><p>"Let me rephrase then: who are you and what the fuck are you doing in the mirror that is hanging inside of my bedroom?" Isak hissed, unwilling to be any friendlier to a stranger who showed up unwarrantedly in his private chamber. </p><p>The blond boy said with anger. "It's not like I want to be here." </p><p>"Why don't you fuck off, then?" Isak asked angrily. "Just go away." </p><p>"Believe me, I'd love to, but unfortunately that's impossible. I can't just go away." </p><p>"Oh really? You weren't here earlier today," he remarked. "So go back to wherever you were before." </p><p>"Before," the boy grit out, "I was here as well. You just couldn't see me." </p><p>Isak opened his mouth and shut it again, because he had forgotten what had intended to say. A part of him (the rational and bigger part of his brain, to be precise) was still screaming that this was fucking ludicrous and not really happening. The other part of him, which had strangely accepted the idea of a boy standing inside his mirror, was just annoyed at not being able to sleep. </p><p>"But," he said slowly, "that means you could leave me alone, right? Like, now. please." There was a look of hurt crossing the boy's features, but it was gone before Isak could really think about it. </p><p>"I know this is not really a good time-" </p><p>"Not really a good time?" Isak echoed, snorting. "It's three o'clock in the morning. I don't think there could be a worse time for conversing with someone whose room you have trespassed and who just wants to sleep." </p><p>The boy, very obviously biting back a snarky remark, drew in a deep breath. "I apologize," he said, slowly. "I didn't mean to scare you." </p><p>"You didn't." </p><p>The boy in the mirror raised an eyebrow but refrained from commenting on this. Then he sighed. "Fine. I see that this wasn't the best approach and it would be pointless to try and talk to you now. We can resume out conversation in the morning, if that is more convenient for you." </p><p> Isak blinked. "Um...okay?" he said hesitantly. </p><p>"Okay," the boy suddenly flashed him a smile. </p><p>"Sweet dreams, grumpy kitten." It looked as if he took a step to the side, and then he was gone. </p><p>"What the-," Isak cursed under his breath, scrambled out of his bed and rushed to the mirror. There was nothing to be seen, no matter what angle he tried, but he could have sworn he heard someone giggle. He frowned. Then he shook his head. "I'm going insane," he said to no one in particular. There was no response. Of course there wasn't. There had never been anyone in his room aside from him. Right? All of a sudden, Isak felt dead tired. Maybe because he had been awake for way too long. Maybe because his head threatened to explode from thinking too much. He didn't know, and frankly, at this moment, he didn't care. He let himself fall onto the bed and let sleep take him away, away from his swirling thoughts and the confusion and disbelief and cat eyes shining in the darkness, into a comforting silence and a peaceful state of thoughtlessness. </p><p>~ </p><p>He woke up a couple of hours later, feeling strangely misplaced and disoriented. Groggy, he sat up and groaned when his muscles protested and a sharp pain seared through his head. Isak waited a few seconds until it dulled down and then rubbed his eyes, daring to take a look at the mirror. Nothing. Sighing in relief, he turned to have a look at his alarm clock instead. The digital numbers indicated that it was only seven in the morning; no wonder he had a headache worse than that one time he'd woken up with a hangover when Jonas and Vilde had bribed him into celebrating his sixteenth birthday with some shots of Tequila. Maybe if he went to sleep earlier tonight, he'd be able to catch up on the sleep he'd lost, since it was apparently impossible for him to sleep in; even without the first rays of sunlight waking him, like they had done at home, he was unable to turn off his internal clock that was telling him to get up early even when he had nowhere to be. Isak stretched, felt his vertebrae pop back into place and grimaced. There was a high possibility that none of the other family members up yet, and since he was positive that he would not be able to get back to sleep he could just as well enjoy the perks of being able to have breakfast in peace and absolute silence. Really, though, one learned to appreciate silence when living with siblings like Vilde and Jonas, because these moments were rare and therefore special, particularly for someone like Isak, who wasn't fond of noise. </p><p>On his way to the bathroom, Isak stopped once more at the mirror. He knocked against it, testing. The material vibrated under the impact and emitted a sound similar to the cold note of two glasses clinking together, but aside from that, there was nothing. "I knew it was just a stupid dream," he murmured and shuffled off to brush his teeth. Once had splashed some cold water onto his face, he actually felt slightly less zombie-like. He still had a nice set of dark rings under his eyes to show off, but at least his face didn't look as grey as it had yesterday. It was a minor improvement, but an improvement nonetheless. Slowly, he scuffled back into his room, changed from his pyjamas into the pair of jeans he had worn the day before and grabbed a new T-Shirt from his closet. </p><p>"Good morning, kitten," someone said next to him. </p><p>Isak jerked back, hit his head on the closet door and, when stumbling back, bumped his toes against the bedpost. "Ow, shit, ow!" </p><p>"Oops," the boy said mildly. "Sorry for startling you." </p><p>Isak wanted to snap at him, but the words stuck in his throat which was suddenly very dry. The only thing he managed to croak was: "You." </p><p>"Yes, me. I hope you're in a better mood now, and up for some talking. Or are you always as grumpy as last night?" The boy blinked at him, tilting his head. "Still believe this is all a dream?" </p><p>He swallowed. "No." How could he? He knew for a fact that he was wide awake this time. Isak looked down, trying to avoid looking at the intense eyes staring at him. Then, realising he was still shirtless, he flushed and quickly pulled the T-Shirt over his head. "Wait-" he said. "How long have you been standing there?" </p><p>"Five, ten minutes? I came here as soon as you woke me up." </p><p>"Woke you- wait, you saw me change?" Isak nearly screeched. </p><p>"Yes. So?" "</p><p>You, you-" Isak was at a loss of words. By now, he was probably beet red. It was bad enough that there was some stranger in his bedroom, but now this stranger had also seen him half-naked. "Av alle gudene. And it didn't occur to tell me you were there earlier? Did you at least look away?" By now, the boy in the mirror was grinning. </p><p>"Don't worry, kitten. It's not the first time I saw a guy in boxer shorts." </p><p>"You-" </p><p>"Also," he continued, ignoring the strangled noises Isak was emitting, "I thought you'd know I was there. After all, you woke me up to talk to you." </p><p>"Woke you up?" Isak parroted. </p><p>"You hammered against the glass, remember?" the boy asked sourly. "Not the nicest way of announcing you were awake. My head nearly fell off. I can still hear the sound reverberating in my ears. Really, for the next time, please, keep in mind that you wouldn't want to be woken up by a noise resembling the one of a church bell chiming right next to your ear." </p><p>Isak cleared his throat. "Um...sorry. I didn't know you were-" </p><p>"Sleeping? Existent?" The boy sighed and rubbed his temple. "Yeah, well, that's how it is. Apology accepted. Just don't do it again. And please don't scream like that again. You're giving me a headache." </p><p>"I didn't scream," Isak protested. </p><p>"You did. Just a little, though," he conceded. "You're holding up remarkably well. Most of the others ran from the room screaming like banshees. Anyway, let's start from the beginning, right? I think I didn't catch your name last night. You are...?" </p><p>"Isak," he answered automatically, "Isak Valtersen." Biting his lip, he edged forwards a little until he could fully see the mirror. "But I think the more important question is who are you? Or what are you?" </p><p>A smile played around the corner's of the boy's lips. "My name is Even Bech Næsheim. That should answer the first question. As for the second one – do you want the long or the short version of the story? Because I could probably break it down to 'Hello, my name is Even Bech Næsheim and I am currently stuck in the mirror in your bedroom, would you,please, help me get out of here?" </p><p>"That doesn't really answer the question," Isak said. "Are you a ghost? How come I can see you now, during the day? Don't you have to stick to the witching hour or something?" </p><p>Even chuckled. "I'm not a ghost." </p><p>"You aren't?" </p><p>"No. At least I don't think I am a ghost. Last time I checked, you had to be dead to be a ghost, and I am pretty sure I can feel my heart beating. I don't think ghosts get headaches, either." </p><p>"Okay," Isak inhaled deeply. So there was a living...thing inside his mirror. "What are you then?" </p><p>"I'm a human just like you kitten, but stuck in a mirror" </p><p>"I was stuck in a closet once," Isak offered weakly. "We were playing hide and seek and Jonas accidentally locked me in. I was in there for the entire rest of the day until they finally found me." </p><p>Even cocked one eyebrow. "And you are absolutely sure you're not stuck in there anymore?" </p><p>"What?" </p><p>"Oh sorry. Different closet. Can we get back to the topic, please?" </p><p>Isak cleared his throat, trying to fight the blush that was threatening to creep up all the way from his neck into his cheeks. He had understood the implications of Even's statement. Of course he had. Maybe he should just go and hide under his blanket and die from mortification. How did Even know that anyway? Had it just been a shot in the dark or did he have the word 'gay' tattooed on his forehead? Figuring it would be the best to just dismiss Even's hint and pretend this part of the conversation had never happened, he ran his fingers through his messy hair and forced himself to meet Even's eyes. "Alright. Let me try to sum things up. You're a human. You're alive. but you're somehow stuck in that mirror and cannot come out...Did I get this right?" </p><p>Even pulled a face. "I have been cursed into this mirror, and unless I find the counter spell or a way to get me out of here, I will be forced to stay in here forever." </p><p>They stayed silent for a while, while Isak tried to digest what he had just heard and made a feeble attempt to sort out all the questions that were jumping up and down in his head with their arms raised like overeager students in class going 'I know the answer, I know the answer, please, teacher, pick me!'. "Who cursed you?" he asked in the end. " And why? Why would someone do this?" </p><p>Am I fucking high ? </p><p>Even shrugged, seeming quite indifferent. "It's of little importance who did it and why." He laughed quietly, bitterly. </p><p>Isak blinked. "I...see," Isak said, although he didn't really see anything at all. He was just terribly confused. "And why exactly did you say you are talking to me again?" </p><p>Even rolled his eyes. "I would have thought that much would be obvious," he noted, scoffing, as if Isak had just said something inconceivably stupid. "I want you to get me out." </p><p>Isak blinked. "Hva?" </p><p>Even sighed, a mixture of exasperation and frustration, and gave him a look that made absolutely clear that he thought Isak was a lost cause. "Are you hearing impaired or are there just not enough active brain cells in that pretty little head of yours?" </p><p>That was when Isak had enough. He'd always had a bit of a temper – one of his many flaws – and right now the anger was boiling up inside him like the lava in a volcano. Really, who did that guy think he was? "You know what, Bech Næsheim?" he spat. "Go fuck yourself!" With that, he took off, storming out of his room and slamming the door shut behind him. Unfortunately, he had forgotten that it was only seven-thirty in the morning and making a noise that was sure to wake his siblings up was not the wisest thing to do. </p><p>Jonas' reaction was instantaneous – not even ten seconds later, Isak could hear the sound of something heavy hitting the wall. "Hei! I'm trying to get some fucking sleep in here!" he hollered. </p><p>A blink of an eye later, Vilde poked her head out of her room, looking tired but at the same time infuriated and sent Isak a glare that suggested that if it wasn't for the fact that he was her adopted brother, she'd rip him to pieces. "I hope you have a very good explanation for this," she said, very slowly. </p><p>He had, but somehow he didn't think there was a way of saying 'there's someone in my bedroom mirror and he's being a complete asshole 'that would somehow not sound as if he was insane. So, although still seething with anger, he bit his tongue and then said, through his teeth, "Sorry. Didn't mean to wake you." </p><p>The words came out a little forced, despite his efforts. "The doorknob kinda slipped out of my hand," he added, for good measure. Maybe it was that sentence – the obvious lie – that made his adopted sister perk up, or maybe it was something else, but the result was the same: her expression went from furious to confused to curious to worried within milliseconds. </p><p>"Of course," she said, raising her eyebrows. </p><p>Isak squinted and avoided her gaze by looking at his feet. They were still bare, and the floor was cold, but there was no way in hell he'd go back into his room to get a pair of socks now. "Sorry again. Try to go back to sleep. I'll make breakfast." Vilde stayed put for a while, watching him walk away hurriedly, before half-shouting, "There better be waffles when I come downstairs!" and retreating back into her room. </p><p>Isak heard the door click shut just as he reached the stairs, and sighed in relieve. Isak jogged down the stairs and made a beeline into the kitchen. Despite not having eaten anything for dinner the previous day, he found that he was not hungry at all; the agitation had completely destroyed his appetite for the time being. Considering the miniscule amount of sleep he had gotten, coffee sounded like a good option, though. He searched through the drawers and cabinets for a good ten minutes until he had finally found everything he needed and decided to make his coffee about twice as strong as he usually did. Jonas and Vilde were sure to complain about this later, because Isak liked his coffee ridiculously strong anyway, but at this moment, he simply couldn't have cared less. While waiting for his coffee to brew, Isak slumped down on one of the high chairs at the island, trying to sort and organize his thoughts. It turned out to be much harder than he had anticipated, mostly, he supposed, because he still found it hard to believe that this was real. For a second, he contemplated telling his siblings about the boy in the mirror, but he quickly dismissed the thought. What if they couldn't see him? What if Even decided to be a prick again and just didn't show himself to them, just to screw up Isak's life? And even if his siblings could see him, well, what good would that be? It wasn't like they would know what to do in this situation, after all. They'd be just as clueless as him. The coffee machine beeped, indicating that his coffee was ready and jerking him out of his train of thoughts. </p><p>Suppressing a yawn, Isak slid off the chair and poured himself a cup of coffee, blinking when he took in the strong scent. He frowned. Just how many spoons of coffee powder per cup had he used? Four? Five? He eyed the package suspiciously. It looked pretty empty already. Oh well. Isak shrugged, took a sip and nearly spit the liquid out a second later. </p><p>"Faen," he cursed, coughing. Five teaspoons? It was more like eight or nine. "æsj!" He grimaced, dumped half of the cup's content in the sink and filled it up with water. </p><p>It still tasted like shit – and was still very, very strong -, but at least he could actually get it down. And it did help to clear his mind a little. So what the hell was he supposed to do, anyway? And what made Even think that he could help him in any way? From what he had said, Isak understood that there had been a bunch of people who had been able to see him, and yet he was still locked in that mirror. Why was that? Had the others not stayed to listen to his story? Or had they simply been unable to help? And if it was the latter, why should he be any different? Isak groaned and rubbed his forehead. There was nothing he wanted to do more than to stop thinking at last and get out of here. Maybe he could explore the streets a little and kill two birds with one stone by buying Vilde some waffles. That would not only make her happy and possibly pacify her after the incident earlier this morning, but also spare him the horrors of having to eat her self-made breakfast in case she conquered the kitchen before his adoped mother had any change to go in there. The only problem was that to get out he would need some socks and, most of all, his shoes, all of which were safely stored in his bedroom upstairs, the one room he did not want to enter right now. Great. Isak wanted to scream in frustration. </p><p>He felt as if his head was going to explode any second. Why, why did this have to happen to him? So what was the lesser of two evils? Go insane sitting here, staring at his awful coffee and repeating the same questions over and over again in his head until there was steam coming out of his ears from thinking too much or going upstairs to fetch his stuff, which included the possible risk of having to face Even? Isak sighed. He had to return to his room sooner or later; there was no avoiding it, so he supposed he might as well get it over with. Maybe he would get lucky and Even was so pissed that he had retreated to whatever place he went to when he wasn't driving Isak crazy. Of course, he didn't have that luck. He should have figured. When he entered the room, he could see Even's face well-defined in the mirror, all sharp angles and soft skin. His eyes were glinting mesmerizingly, despite there being no sunlight falling onto the mirror which his eyes could reflect. Odd as they were, they were really quite beautiful. </p><p>Even's head perked up when he heard him entering the room. For a moment, Isak considered simply ignoring him or saying something that would make him leave him alone, but the boy beat him to it. "I'm sorry," he said before Isak could do as much as open his mouth. He sounded genuinely apologetic, which startled Isak and was the only reason he didn't glare at him. In fact, he could feel his eyes widen in surprise. An apology was pretty much the last thing he'd expected to come out of Even's mouth. From the little he knew about him, he would have assumed Even was not the type of guy to admit having made a mistake and apologise for screwing up. He wasn't going to make it that easy for him, though. </p><p>"Oh, really," he asked, raising his eyebrows sceptically. </p><p>Even sighed. "Yes, really. Look, I know I was being a dick earlier. I shouldn't have insulted you like that. It was inappropriate and mean and complete out of place, and I apologise. I know this must all be very confusing for you, and hard to understand, but I have to admit that my nerves are kind of strained after being stuck in here for so long, too, and I have never been an extraordinarily patient person anyway. Still, I shouldn't have taken my frustration out on you. After all, you are not to blame for my situation." He paused for a moment, his blue eyes trained on Isak. "So, will you please accept my apology and talk to me again?" </p><p>Isak hesitated for a second, then sighed in defeat. "Fine," he murmured, not wanting to be unfair. He was still a little miffed, but Even had apologised and meant it and that should be enough. Also, Isak wanted nothing more than to get Even out of his bedroom as soon as possible, and for that he needed to help and talk to him. To a certain degree, he could also understand the other boy. As uncomfortable as this entire situation was for him, it must be a lot harder to deal with all of this for Even. In fact, it was probably a lot worse for him. While Isak felt overwhelmed, it must be so much harder for Even, having no control over this situation, over his own life, at all. In the end, Isak thought, he was the one who held all the straws in his hand. Basically, Even was at his mercy. If he decided not to help him, he would remain stuck in this bloody mirror for a while, until he found someone else who would agree to help him. Maybe even for years, if Isak and his family didn't move out again and no one else could see him. A knot started to form in Isak's gut as he considered this, and he felt nauseous. The idea of being the key to Even's fate – at least temporarily – and having to assume the responsibility for him frightened him. "I'll help you," he said, his voice raspy and shaky. Even looked as if a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders. </p><p>"Takk," he breathed. </p><p>Isak smiled wryly. "I don't have much of a choice, now, have I?" he asked rhetorically. "No offense, but I kind of want to get rid of you as soon as possible. I'd like to have my bedroom to myself, without a random stranger perving on me." </p><p>"As soon as possible sounds good to me," Even remarked. "And I wasn't perving on you, just to make this clear once and for all. It's not my fault you decided to strip in front of me without checking whether I was there or not." He flashed him a quick smile that made his blue eyes light up. "Still, I can't say I didn't enjoy the view." By the time Even had finished his speech, his grin had turned decidedly wicked. </p><p>Isak's face, in turn, was burning, and he knew he was blushing feverishly, half from embarrassment, half from anger. "Okay, that's it," he said, once he had regained his composure enough to ensure he didn't splutter, "I will definitely make sure I can throw you out of here asap. Until then, don't you dare creeping up on me when I'm changing or I will kill you." </p><p>"Duly noted," Even replied, but he was still grinning. </p><p>Clearly, he didn't take Isak's threat too seriously. Isak was almost inclined to show him just how serious he had been, but curiosity got the better of him first. "How long have you been stuck in there anyway?" he asked. </p><p>Even frowned. "I don't know," he admitted, rubbing his temples. "I lost count ages ago. It's not that easy to keep track of the days in here, especially when the room is mostly shut down and you are therefore deprived of the only indicator, the sunlight. Even with the curtains opened, it's hard to tell whether it's day or night outside. Great." </p><p>"How old are you exactly?" Isak asked warily. Even shrugged. </p><p>"18 or 19. I don't really remember " </p><p>Isak felt the entire colour leave his face. "kjære Gud," he murmured. "But," Isak began tentatively, " if you cannot find a way to escape, how am I going to be able to help you? There is nothing special about me." </p><p>"Oh, I think you are wrong here," Even murmured almost inaudibly. "I think you can't even begin to fathom just how special you are." </p><p>"Hva?" </p><p>"Nothing." The boy shook his head quickly. "It's true that you probably won't be able to get me out yourself, since magic can only be undone by magic and you are not a wizard and by consequence you have no magic in you. However, what you can do is help me try to find the way to get me out of there. That's all I ask of you, really. Look through the magiske bøker and see if we can find anything useful. And after that we need a witch to get me out of here with the spell" </p><p>"A witch? Are you fucking kidding me ? Are we in Harry potter ?" </p><p>"Kitten, I told you I got cursed in a mirror and you are shocked about the fact that witches exist?" </p><p>"uh.. I should stop smocking weed.. Nothing make sense." </p><p>"You know what we can not do right now is argumenting about what's real or not and just concentrate about getting me out of here. I promise, I will answers your questions after." </p><p>Isak shifted uncomfortably. "However," he said slowly, "there aren't any books in here. You lived here a long time ago and a lot of people have been moving in and out of this house. They'll most likely have thrown away or sold everything you left behind. I don't think that aside from this mirror there is any of your furniture or your belongings left in this house." </p><p>Even's reaction was nothing like he had expected it to be. Instead of being shocked or devastated, a positively cheerful grin began to spread across his face. "Get in the closet, Isak." </p><p>"What?" The boy in the mirror almost doubled over with laughter upon seeing his dumbstruck expression. </p><p>"I'm not making fun of you, kitten. Time to go to Narnia."</p>
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<a name="section0003"><h2>3. narnia</h2></a>
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    <p>"I don't think I understand."</p><p>Even's grin widened. "When I say 'get in the closet', I mean it literally, not figuratively. After all, we both know there's no need for you to go into the metaphorical one because you're already in there, safely hiding behind tightly locked doors. Now-"</p><p>"Stop that!" Isak cut in, trembling with rage. "Stop saying that! You know nothing about me!" Realising he had raised his voice to a volume near to shouting, he bit his lip and took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. He didn't make much progress with that, but he found that clenching and unclenching his fist helped to fight the urge to punch something – or rather, someone. "I'm in no closet at all," he insisted. "I don't know why you keep saying that."</p><p>"Of course you aren't, kitten," Even said, his voice oozing with sarcasm. "You don't wanna talk about it?" Even shrugged. "Fine then. Whatever you say, kitten."</p><p>"Stop calling me that." Isak grimaced. "I'm not your kitten, I'm not your anything."</p><p>The Boy pouted, but didn't raise any objections, possibly because Isak looked ready to throttle him. "No pet names, I get it. I'll try to refrain myself, I promise. Let's get back to the original topic before I can put my foot in it once more. The closet."</p><p>Isak tensed, but luckily Even didn't seem to plan to tease him any more. "What's with it?" he asked.</p><p>The grin returned to Even's face, making him look extremely pleased with himself, like a cat that had gotten all the cream. "The books, are in there."</p><p>Isak blinked. "...right," he said slowly. "Look, I don't want to disappoint you, but the only things you will find in that closet are my clothes. I think I would have noticed if there were any books in there."</p><p>"Maybe you need to look again," Even replied, sounding smug. "Or you should get a pair of glasses. Ever been to an optician?"</p><p>"I'm not fucking blind."</p><p>"You only notice what you want to see. So yes, you are blind."</p><p>There was an edge to his voice that made Isak prick his ears, but he deemed it better not to call him out on it. It seemed that he had already put the boy on an edge, and it would be no good pissing him off completely. As much as he disliked it, they had to work together. If he wanted Even out of his mirror, he'd better do as he said.</p><p>He inhaled deeply and then got up and walked towards the closet. "Okay. So what do I have to do exactly? Get in the closet – and then what?"</p><p>There was a small pause, and then the tension vanished from Even's face. "On the left side, just below the top shelf – can you see something there?"</p><p>Isak poked his head in, narrowing his eyes as he scrutinized the wood. Even with the light turned on, it was hard to make out any details. Slowly, he raised his hand and let his fingers slide over the surface until he felt it: a slight asperity, hardly noticeable. Frowning, he followed the contours with his fingers. "Yeah," he said, "there's something carved into the wood here. Some sort of sign. A viking rune. How do I open it?"</p><p>Isak looked back to see Even shrugging, "you can always try the password."</p><p>"The password? What, like 'open sesame'?" Isak joked.</p><p>"I'm a bit more original that."</p><p>"I bet you are," Isak mumbled, covering the viking rune with his hand.</p><p>"The password is ᛋᛟᚴᛖ  ᛋᚬᚾᚾ𐌷ᛖᛏᛖᚾ"   </p><p>"ᛋᛟᚴᛖ  ᛋᚬᚾᚾ𐌷ᛖᛏᛖᚾ – seek the truth?" Isak echoed. "I suppose that's kind of fitting – and a lot classier than I expected it to be," he added quietly in a voice so low that he was sure Even couldn't hear it. He didn't feel up to another argument with the boy.</p><p>"I didn't know you knew old norse." Even sounded surprised.</p><p>"I- whoa!" All of a sudden, the wood under his hand had begun to emit a radiant warmth, and when he pulled back his hand abruptly, he saw that the rune had started to glow golden.</p><p>"Is it working?"</p><p>Isak swallowed. "I think so," the next thing he knew was that he could hear the soft, creaking noise of a door opening, and there was a faint streak of light breaking through at the edges of the closet walls. When he gently pushed against the wood, the board yielded and swung open to reveal a library.</p><p>It was spacious, with high walls that were covered by lines and lines of bookshelves which were interrupted ever so often by large windows reaching from the floor to the ceiling, allowing the sunlight to flood the entire library and illuminate every minuscule corner.</p><p>"Isak?" Even's voice interrupted his thoughts, sounding mulled and distant, a thousand miles away. He really hoped he wasn't shouting; what if Vilde and Jonas could hear him? "Did you get in?"</p><p>Quickly, Isak moved back out of the library and into his room. "Yeah, well, I just hope you remember how you organised them all. Did you alphabetise them by titles or authors, or arrange them according to topics?"</p><p>"Do you think I'm stupid Kitten ? Start with the shelves on the left hand side," Even suggested. </p><p>Sometimes Isak really hated his life. What had he done to deserve this? All he had wanted was some peace and quietness, but no, apparently whatever greater force was out there wasn't having that. Now he had a nosy hot man in a mirror and hours over hours of research ahead of him that probably wouldn't even get them anywhere. There went his hopes of getting rid of Even quickly.</p><p>Isak had an idea. He plopped himself up on his elbows to look at Even, who was still leaning against the frame of the glass and was observing him with his strange, bright eyes. "So, if you really know every book in there," he began slowly, "can you at least make me a list of books I should look for? That would probably be more effective than having me look through every book, randomly looking for something I know basically nothing about."</p><p>Even nodded. "That's a good idea," he acknowledged. "Also, it would be best if you brought them here for me to see once you've found them."</p><p>"Oh, that's nice. I'm being reduced to a bookrest."</p><p>"Stop complaining," Even admonished. "I'm minimising your workload here."</p><p>Isak shrugged. "You've got a point there. Now," he sat up slowly and searched the room for his shoes. Eventually, he spotted them under his bed. He couldn't remember putting them there, but considering how dead tired he had been yesterday, that didn't come as a surprise. "I suggest that you think up a list of books for me to search while I'm out buying waffles for Vilde. I don't feel like being decapitated toda-"</p><p>He was abruptly interrupted by the sound of the door to his room swinging open and crashing against the wall, making in it shake within its frame. Isak whirled around. His adopted sister was standing in the doorway. "I heard my name mentioned."</p><p>"Um...yeah," was the intelligent answer Isak managed to produce. He was still too dumbstruck to react in a more appropriate way, like, say, telling her to not bang the doors like that or to knock before entering, which was what he usually would have done.</p><p>"There are no waffles," Vilde stated matter-of-factly.</p><p>And the reason for her presence was revealed, Isak thought wryly. "I was just about to go and get some," he said, slipping into his shoes. "Anything else?"</p><p>"Yeah," Vilde said, looking around the room with a frown. "A question. Who were you talking to earlier? I heard your voice and thought that Jonas must be here, but..." she trailed off.</p><p>Isak stopped in his movement. "No one," he mumbled hastily, "I was just talking to myself." He threw a glance at the mirror to see if Even had disappeared.</p><p>He hadn't. He was still there, right in the middle of the mirror, and Vilde was standing right in front of him, looking at herself without seeing him. Isak swallowed. I guess that answers the question as to whether everyone can see him or not, he thought.</p><p>Even didn't seem to be even the slightest bit fazed by the fact that Vilde took no notice of him. Instead, he looked at Isak's adopted sister up and down. "She looks annoying," he declared. </p><p>Vilde didn't even blink. So she couldn't hear him, either.</p><p>Why was it that Isak could see him and she didn't? What was the difference between the two of them? Isak shook his head. He shouldn't worry about these questions now, he wouldn't be able to find an answer to them anyway.</p><p>Vilde gave him a weird look. "I think you might be losing your mind," she remarked. "Jonas and I always knew this was going to happen one day. One day your brain would break and melt under the pressure of being used too excessively."</p><p>Isak snorted. "Ja, Takk." Deeming it better to end this conversation right here and now, he got up and grabbed his jacket and went to get some waffles.</p>
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<a name="section0004"><h2>4. en skjebne som er verre enn døden</h2></a>
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    <p>
  <span>When Isak finally returned with pancakes, sandwiches and coffee, Vilde was already waiting for him in the kitchen. Other than that, the house still seemed to be deserted.</span>
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  <span>"Where is everyone?" he asked as he put the groceries down on the huge island his adopted sister was seated at.</span>
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  <span>Vilde grabbed her coffee. "Jonas is still sleeping, it seems. Marianne left with Léa to see some art museum or something. I didn't pay that much attention. Anyway, while you were upstairs yesterday, hiding in your room, Jonas and I talked about what to do this weekend. We planned hitting downtown tonight; he already looked up some parties we could go to. Are you coming with us?"</span>
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  <span>"Nei Takk," Isak said, wrinkling his nose, and sat down opposite to her. "I have no desire to watch Jonas trying to lick the tonsils of the first girl he meets."</span>
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  <span>The words came out sharper and bitterer than he had intended them to be, but he supposed Vilde would have picked up on his emotional distress anyway; she was very good at reading him. She always had been. To strangers, it always seemed as if Vilde didn't care about anything or anyone, walking through the world with her head held high and looking down on everyone, but in reality she did care, and she was more than just a little perceptive. She can be clumsy… A lot. Or uneducated about a lot of stuffs. But she was always happy to listen, learn and help.</span>
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  <span>This time was no exception. Vilde frowned, put down the coffee and fixed her eyes on him, scrutinizing his face. "Now this is the type of statement I haven't heard from you for ages," she stated.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Isak wanted to slap himself. He didn't slip up often, but every time he did was once too often for him. Technically, there wasn't anything to be worried about (after all, no one else was around to hear him talking, and this had been the kind of utterance that no one would think twice about upon hearing it, not even Jonas, had he been listening), but he still tried to avoid getting himself into situations like this one. Vilde was the only one who knew about his infatuation with his adopted brother, which he had by now mostly overcome, as he liked to think. Or well, at least he tried, and he had done his best to convince his adopted sister that he was completely over Jonas. With that, he had also tried to convince himself that he didn't have any feelings for him anymore; after all, it wasn't like he'd ever stand a chance. Jonas was as straight as one could be, and even if he weren't, he would certainly never be interested in Isak. They were adoptive brothers, faen; not by blood-relation, but they might as well have been. And one just shouldn't feel that way about your adopted brother. Ever. So ever since he had discovered them, Isak had tried to bury these feelings in the darkest corner of his soul. Mostly, that worked pretty well.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But sometimes, especially when Isak saw him with yet another girl clinging to his arm, all the feelings resurfaced along with a wave of jealousy and hurt and despair.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was one of the things that made Isak feel sick to the core. He'd had a hard enough time coming to terms with the thought that this was not just a phase but that he was indeed homosexual, and this only complicated things further. It would have been easier for him to accept the fact that he was gay if he hadn't had indecent fantasies about his adopted brother and best friend.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Is that what's been bothering you?" she asked quietly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Nothing's been bothering me," he replied brusquely.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Bullshit," Vilde said. "First, the yelling and door-banging this morning. Then coffee so strong it could knock out a horse. And then you were talking to yourself, which you never do. Not to mention that you admitted not feeling fine. Furthermore, you've been moody lately. Moodier than usual, that is."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Isak rolled his eyes. "In case you haven't noticed, everyone was moodier than usual lately, especially you. And I didn't really sleep last night. That's all."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She smirked. "What, did the ghost stories give you shivers so that you were too afraid to sleep?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Don't be ridiculous," said Isak, taking another gulp of coffee.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>What he thought was: If only you knew.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Vilde tilted her head to the side. She was clearly not buying his indifferent behaviour, but thankfully she didn't pry. All she said was, "You know you can talk to me about anything, right?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yeah." Isak nodded. Sure. If I want you to send me directly to the next nuthouse. He stood up, suddenly wanting to be away from her as soon as possible. "I'll be upstairs, then."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Think about coming tonight, okay? please, at least consider it."</span>

</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Will do."</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As had been to be expected, Even was present when he returned to his room. "I've got a list," he said instead of a greeting. "It's quite long, though. I hope you have a pen and paper ready to hand, because quite frankly, I don't think you will be able to remember all of the titles, especially since some of them are in foreign languages. I have sorted them by importance, though – at least I hope so. The ones most likely to offer a solution should be on the top of the list to make this all as short and painless as possible – theoretically."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Isak just nodded curtly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Even blinked and tilted his head to the side, contemplating. "What's gotten you all riled up again?" he asked. "Did your adopted sister try to behead you after all?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"No, she didn't. And I'm not riled up. I've just been...thinking."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"About what?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Nothing. Everything. It's just...I still got so many questions."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Oh, believe me, there are still a few giant question marks lurking around in my brain as well," Even said, shrugging nonchalantly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Like...?" Isak prompted.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Even didn't answer. "Do you have something to take notes or not?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Isak made a displeased sound, but stalked over to his desk. Maybe the questions could wait a little longer. Maybe he didn't even want to know the answers to some of them. "Shoot ahead."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Immediately, Even began to rattle through a rather frighteningly long list of titles and names, at a speed that made Isak's head blur and made it quite hard to scribble down the necessary information in time. It didn't help that, in fact, most of the books appeared to be written in languages he knew nothing about, and it got only worse when he got to the ones who didn't even use the same alphabet and script. At some point, Even began to draw glowing signs in the air that Isak would simply try to copy as precisely as possible to be able to identify the books by their cover later, while knowing that this would take him more than just a few hours (or days, or weeks).</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When the DIN A-4 sheet of paper was thoroughly covered with notes and titles and names, Even finally stopped and took a deep breath, and then, all of a sudden, flashed Isak the widest and most brilliant smile he had ever seen. "Well then, off you go, kitten," he announced cheerfully. "Have fun!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Isak was very tempted to make a very rude gesture at him, but controlled himself. It wasn't even ten in the morning and he already felt as if he had exceeded his usual quota of daily profanities. With a heavy sigh, he turned around and made his way to the hidden library in – or behind – the closet, trying very hard to block out the thoughts of the endless possibilities of jokes Even could originate from this situation if he wanted to.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This time, the endless stacks and shelves of books didn't fill him with as much awe as they head before. Right now, they were rather filling him with dread, and not for the first time he wondered just how long it was going to take to find the one book that would contain the one spell that would finally get Even out of the mirror and, most importantly, out of his bedroom.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He said the magiske bøker were mostly on the left-hand side. The left-hand side it is, then. Isak heaved another sigh, and set to work.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>In the course of the next hours, he managed to go through the grand total of two bookshelves and, oh wonder, located three of the books on the list. After taking a glance at his watch, he tucked them under his arm and exited the library, thinking that he couldn't stay in here much longer; it was nearly lunch time, and that meant the probability of one of his siblings barging into his room to drag him into the kitchen was rising dramatically, and he supposed he'd have a rather big problem explaining to them where he had vanished to all of a sudden.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Even?" he called out tentatively, after checking that neither Jonas or Vilde were present. "Are you there?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A blink of an eye later, Even was there, sliding into the view from the side. "Found something?" Understandably, he sounded overly excited, like a kid who was about to open the birthday presents.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Only three so far, but they were pretty much on top of the list, so they might be useful." Isak shrugged, and then frowned. "I would have searched for more, but I don't want to have to explain to my siblings what I was doing in the closet in case they storm in unannounced – which they always do, in case you were wondering," he added as he set down the list and stepped in front of the mirror with the first book.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Even seemed to bite back a snicker. "Right. Because standing in front of the mirror with a book flipped open and facing towards that mirror is any less weird."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Will they even be able to see the book?" Isak questioned, pensive. "I mean, I can't tell with Jonas, but Vilde is obviously not able to see you, so maybe she wouldn't be able to see any things that have to do with magic. And why is it that I can see you, anyway? Why can I see you when the others cannot?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Even raised his hand in a gesture of discomfiture. "I have absolutely no idea," he admitted.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"But if anyone should be able to have an explanation, it's you!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Even rolled his eyes in exasperation. "I'm afraid it's the truth. I don't know."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"One more question," Isak said, absentmindedly flipping through the book and caressing the edges of the worn out paper. "Why can I not always see you? Where do you go to when you're not in the mirror? Can you move from one mirror in the house to another, or what do you do?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"What, like the pictures in Harry Potter?" Even snorted. "No, there's nothing here but the mirror and the room behind it, so I suppose I'm not technically in the mirror; I'm behind it. More or less. Maybe. It's a lot like a prison cell: just an empty room with stone walls and no windows at all, about half of the size of your room. Nothing fancy, but at least I can step out of sight for a while to have some privacy even when people who can see me are in the room."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Even shrugged, trying to act indifferent, but there was a tension to his jaw line that made it obvious to Isak how much he loathed everything about this. He found himself at a loss of words, again. "Oh," he said, lamely. "I'm...really sorry." The words seemed insufficient, but he meant it, and it was the best he could come up with to show his sympathy. "It must be horrible."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You have no idea," Even murmured.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You-" Isak cleared his throat. "All these years," he said quietly. "You must have been very lonely."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Even smiled bitterly. "Loneliness is something I am used to, Isak."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Something was clouding his eyes that Isak could only describe as the weight of too many years and experiences. Gone was the cheerful, annoying nettler, replaced by someone who just looked very serious, and very, very tired. Isak felt his heart clench painfully. As much as he had wanted to smack Even before, seeing him like that was everything but pleasant. He swallowed, hard.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Well, now I'm here," he said in an attempt to lighten the mood. "And while I will probably go crazy if I don't get my alone time and you're constantly around...well, I just want to say...I'm here. du er ikke alene." He smiled weakly. "And if this takes longer than anticipated, I can read Harry Potter to you, if you want, and make up for being an asshole before. I mean, I still kind of hate this and want you out as soon as possible, but it's the least I can do to try and get along with you, right?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This time, Even's smile was surprised, but genuine. "Takk."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Isak smiled too, briefly, and took a deep breath as he opened the book to show Even the first spell. "Okay, let's do this."</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>_______________</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"No. No. No. No. N- wait, let me…No. No. No. Aaand – no."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Groaning, Isak slammed the book shut and tossed it on the bed. A moment later, he let himself fall backwards on the soft mattress as well. "Well," he said, staring up at the ceiling, "that didn't go quite as well as I had hoped."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Tell me about it."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Isak snorted. "You aren't the one who spent three hours searching the chaos in the library for magiske bøker only to have someone tell you after ten minutes of flicking through the pages that there was nothing useful to be found and you had to start over again."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You aren't the one who has been cursed into a mirror over a decade ago, so stop complaining," Even replied, sounding more exhausted than irritated. Although it was clearly an attempt to make a joke, the statement made Isak feel guilty immediately. Who was he to complain, having only spend a tiny fracture of his life with this annoying but not overly demanding work? "It would have been a small miracle if we had found something in the first three books anyway."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I suppose." Isak rolled over, piling up the books. He stared at them thoughtfully, tracing the edges of the leather binding with his fingertips. "What do we do if we don't find anything in the other books, either?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Now that is something I don't even want to think about," Even said, rubbing his temples. "Stop that."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Stop what?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Being a pessimist. You're pulling me down from my temporary emotional high, which is, for once, not because of weed, or generated by sexual activity."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You-" Isak interrupted himself, coughed, and shook his head. "Forget it. I don't want to know."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Oh kitten." Even looked amused. "Do you always blush when something about sex is mentioned?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Shut up," Isak murmured irritably, indeed feeling the heat rising up into his cheeks, colouring them bright red.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"No need to be embarrassed, kitten. I find it quite adorable."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Even," Isak bit out, "what did I say about pet names?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Oops. Sorry. Doesn't change the fact that it is adorable, though."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Isak sat up abruptly, his green eyes shining with anger. "Stop making fun out of me!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Even blinked. "I'm not making fun out of you," he disagreed calmly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You're flirting with me!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Exactly," Even grinned from one ear to another. "Which is definitely not the same thing as making fun out of someone, don't you agree?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Isak grit his teeth so hard his jaw was beginning to hurt. "Of course not," he bit out, his voice bitter and sharp like steel. "I'm sure this has nothing to do with your stupid notion that I am gay at all."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Even blinked slowly, his grin dissipating and gradually turning into a deep frown. "Okay, Isak, let me make one thing very clear," he said in the end. " I do believe that we have a severe case of denial here, I don't hit on people to make fun out of them. I don't hit on anyone unless I mean it."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Isak, who had just been in the process of unclenching his jaw (and his fists, while he was at it, too, because his fingernails had already begun to form deep marks on his skin), managed to choke on his own saliva. Even watched him with an admixture of faint amusement and worry while he coughed and gasped for breath. "You – you aren't – this is not happening," he spluttered as soon as he had enough air in his lungs to utter at least a few single words.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Why would it not be happening?" Even asked. "Have you looked into a mirror, Isak? And I mean not this mirror. I am talking about a mirror where you can actually see yourself."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Isak chose to ignore this comment completely. "That's not what I meant," he said, although he inwardly had to admit that this was exactly what he had meant. No one had ever hit on him before, and Isak was not sad about this. Mostly, at least. He preferred to stay unnoticed most of the time. People had told him before that he was cute (although not exactly frequently, probably because of his lack of fashion sense and messy hair hiding most of his face). He didn't want the attention. He had never wanted it..</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was strange, what this boy did to him: he annoyed the hell out of him already, making him want to lash out at him, but at the same time, Isak felt like a complete asshole whenever some words that might hurt Even slipped out of his mouth before he could hold his tongue. It reminded him a bit of the times when Jonas had first come to live with them. They had grown very close in a ridiculously short amount of time, and while they did not spend every waking hour in the other's company any more like they had used to when they were younger, they were still a good team. Now, they were able to throw insults at each other without thinking about it, knowing that it would be forgiven a few minutes later because neither actually meant what he said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Maybe the situation was similar with Even. The boy putting up a good act, for the most part, but Isak could tell that he was anything but alright. Of course he wasn't. Who'd be alright after spending a decade and a half alone in a tiny little room with no light and no way out? Isak knew Even wouldn't want his pity – he was too proud for that – but the least he could do was not rub salt into his wounds and try to be nice, even if it was hard at times.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>____________</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The room lay in perfect darkness when he came back. The floorboards creaked under his feet as he moved towards his bed as quietly as possible, not turning on the lights. He didn't want to alarm Even and be forced to have a lengthy discussion with him again (because he surely would; he never seemed to be able to not have lengthy conversations with him), because quite frankly, all he wanted right now was some peace and quiet, nothing else. And sleep. He needed sleep.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"So that's what you call 'later', huh? I suppose the term is appropriate."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Isak jerked violently and, losing focus on his mission to get to his bed without running into anything, promptly stubbed his toe on the bedpost. "Ow," he hissed and turned around to glare at Even. "You've got to stop doing this!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Hva?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Scaring me like that. Stop it."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Well, I can't exactly announce my presence any more subtly, can I?" Even asked dryly. "Actually, I was worried about you. You didn't come back."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Hva, did you think I abandoned you?" Isak replied, flopping onto the mattress and massaging his foot.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Even shrugged. "Maybe."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"That's really stupid," Isak determined.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Well, how am I supposed to know you'll come back when you run off? After all, you planned to go downstairs for lunch, and now look at you, stumbling into your room in the middle of the night."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Isak frowned. "Okay, A: you're not my mother, and don't need to know where I am and what I am doing every single hour of the day. B: Sorry. I meant to come back, but Vilde and Jonas kind of...abducted me. And then they dragged me to a party." He grimaced.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Even cocked an eyebrow. "So bad?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Isak grunted and bent down to untie his shoes. </span>
  <span>To be honest, it has been a good party. The music has been more or less acceptable, he smoked good weed. On the downside, the only reason why Jonas was still mostly sober was because he has spent about two thirds of the evening in a lip-lock with Eva. And Vilde had taken off to the dance floor by Magnus.  Isak wasn't what you could call an expert in human emotions. Magnus very obviously had a crush on Vilde that he was trying to forget about, just like Isak was trying to forget about Jonas. The boy was also very obviously enthralled by Vilde. He seemed to be a nice, intelligent and funny guy..</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Could you, you know, turn around or something while I change?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Even rolled his eyes and huffed, but did as he was told.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"And no peeking!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Even muttered something under his breath that sounded like "Paranoid."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Isak chose to ignore the comment. Instead, he just pointedly said "Good night," quickly stripped down to his boxers, threw his clothes over the desk chair and stepped into his pyjamas, all the while checking whether Even kept his back turned (thankfully, he did). As Isak pulled away the covers and climbed into bed, he wondered whether it would always be like this from now on - whether Even would be the first thing to see when he woke up in the morning and the last before he went to bed. He wasn't so sure how he felt about that, but then, he pretty much wasn't sure how he felt about anything anymore. </span>
  <span>Slowly, Isak closed his eyes. He thought he heard Even say something and then laugh quietly as he drifted to sleep, but maybe that was just a figment of his imagination, just a part of his dreams which were filled with pictures of strange worlds where letters emerged from books and floated in the air around him, where he could hear his siblings calling for him from far away while he was running away, farther and farther, alongside a tall blond boy who grabbed his hand and never let it go.</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>____________</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Over the course of the next days, Isak and Even automatically fell into some sort of pattern, that quickly became a very familiar and strangely comfortable routine of their daily life. It wasn't something they had agreed on earlier, it just happened, without them even stopping to think about it twice. </span>
  <span>Isak would get up early, like he always did, and hop into the bathroom. When he returned, Even was usually already there, waiting for him – Isak could see a shadow in the mirror, nothing more, while Even was trying to give him the space he needed while getting dressed. He believed Even when he said he wasn't watching, but he still retreated into a corner of the room that could not be seen from where Even was standing, just to make sure. Once he had finished, Even stepped into full view (somehow, he always seemed to know when it was safe to come forward, even when he had no way of checking or even tracking the time), complaining about how ungodly the hours where to which Isak would be up and about, a comment which Isak would shoot down by telling him it was his own bloody fault if he decided to get up, too, because it wasn't like anyone was forcing him to not sleep in.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After a few minutes of this more or less playful banter, Isak would go and have breakfast, spend a little time with his siblings and then come upstairs again to spend several hours in the library, searching every shelf for the books on Even's list. He was beginning to become quite good at it, too, slowly being able to make out a certain order in the infinite chaos that was Even's non-existent classification system. Or maybe he was just getting better at spotting and identifying the strange signs and scripts that were the titles of most books. Sometimes, when he found one of the rare copies which were penned in Norwegian, he would sit down and flip through the pages, trying to make sense of the strange spells.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was easy to tell that Even was growing increasingly frustrated. </span>
  <span>So was Isak, despite the fact that he had somewhat grown accustomed to having Even around. It wasn't so bad, half of the time. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Unfortunately, it wasn't all that good, <em>either</em>.</span>
</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. tilregnelihet</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>While it had been strangely easy to get used to Even's presence, Isak had to admit that there were quite a few downsides to it. There was, for example, the lack of privacy. No matter how hard Even tried to give him his space, in the back of his mind there was always a little voice nagging him, telling him that he could never tell for sure whether Even was watching him or not. And, of course, the knowledge that Even could hear pretty much every word spoken, every sound made in his room. Needless to say, to a point where it got incredibly annoying and frustrating.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Even worse was the circumstance that his family seemed to begin to think that Isak was losing his mind.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He couldn't blame them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There had been more than one occasion where one of his siblings had entered his room unheralded while he was talking to Even. He had grown used to speaking in a low voice to at least prevent them from hearing him speak when they were passing by his door, but it didn't help that they found him apparently muttering to himself, and, sometimes, trying to quickly hide a book he was holding in his hands. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His luck seemed to have deserted him ever since they had moved to the city, however, it happened that when they were having dinner together about two weeks and a half after moving in Marianne looked at him and said, "By the way, Isak, I have arranged for the bulk waste to be picked up tomorrow. Have Jonas help you depositing the mirror outside."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A wave of cold dread washed over Isak, and the spoon he was holding slipped through his fingers. It clattered to the ground, the noise reverberating loudly through the room. "Hva?" he blurted, his voice taking a shortcut to the higher and hardly-ever used registers, and quickly dived under the table to retrieve his cutlery and regain control over his expression and vocal chords.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When he came up again about half a minute later, everyone was looking at him except for Léa, whose nose was, as always, buried in one of her book.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"The mirror. You wanted to dispose of it, if I remember correctly," Marianne stated, completely unperturbed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Oh. Oh, yeah, that," said Isak, doing his best to portray an adequately surprised but enlightened face while remaining nonchalant and trying to hide his inner panic. He wasn't faring too well, he feared, judging from the glance his siblings exchanged. He scratched his head. "Actually...I don't mind it that much anymore."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This statement earned him baffled looks from everyone. He quickly cast his eyes down at his plate and fidgeted uncomfortably. Oh yeah. Smooth.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Finally," Jonas said, "Isak has begun to understand that you can actually put a mirror to good use? I think the world might have just stopped turning."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Isak rolled his eyes. "Oh, shut up," he said. "It just...I don't know. It kind of belongs into the room. It fits with the rest of the furniture...I suppose."</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He took two stairs at a time when getting back upstairs later, hoping to escape Vilde, in vain. He should have figured. His sister caught him by his arm before he could enter his room and shut the door behind him to lock the rest of the family out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Isak," she said, "I have to talk to you."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Trust her to not even ask whether he had time. This, too, was very much like his sister. Sighing inwardly, he nodded and gestured towards his room. "Come in."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Isak," she began slowly, "what's going on?" He opened his mouth to speak, but she didn't give him a chance to reply. "I know you're probably just going to say it's nothing, like you always do, but we both know that's not true. You are not behaving like yourself, Isak, don't even try to deny it! You spend hours here in your room, and I know that's nothing unusual, but in the time since we got here you haven't touched a single book when you would usually read at least four or five in that time. You have these...these strange mood swings and you talk to yourself and – and I'm worried about you and I don't know what to do, because you just won't tell me what's wrong!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He swallowed. "Vilde-"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Don't 'Vilde' me, Isak Valtersen, and don't you dare to lie to me!" she threatened.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"How could I when you're not even letting me finish my sentence?" he asked, and, before she could speak out again, went on, "Look, Vilde, there's noth- well, I can't say there's nothing going on, to be honest," he corrected himself quickly upon seeing her glare, "but I can assure you that I am absolutely fine. There is nothing wrong with me, I swear. There's just...something going on and-"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"What is it?" she interrupted him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Isak inhaled deeply. "I can't tell you."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You can tell me anything, Isak."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I know," he said quietly. "I know, Vilde, but it's just not my story to tell." He bit his lip. "Would it reassure you if I told you I haven't been talking to myself?" he asked tentatively.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She blinked, and then narrowed her eyes. "Who have you been talking to, then?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"It's not someone you know."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Like...you've been calling someone?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yes, something like that." Isak could see that she was still struggling with herself, wondering whether she should just let it go or not, so he grabbed her arm and forced her to look at him. "Vilde, do you trust me?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Ja," she replied, without a moment of hesitation.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Good. Because you have to trust me on this, okay? I can't tell you anything else now, but I would if I could. If I ever can, I will. But for now, you just have to trust me."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She hesitated for another moment and then nodded. "Okay," she murmured. "Okay."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Isak exhaled. "Takk, Vilde."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She crooked a weak smile and walked towards the door. Before opening it, she turned around once more. "Just tell me one thing," she said. "Do you like this person?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Isak didn't have to think about that one. "Ja," he answered honestly. He didn't care if Even could hear him or not; he surely could, even though Isak had not yet been able to detect a single movement or flash of colour in the mirror since they had entered the room. It was nothing but the truth. He had grown to like Even, irritating as he was, and there was no reason to keep it a secret.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Vilde nodded again. "Is he worth it?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He contemplated that for a moment, not even surprised by the fact that she automatically assumed that this was about a boy. "I don't know," he admitted at last. "But I hope so."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She smiled, then, and left.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The door clicked shut behind her, and as soon as the sound of her soft footsteps on the cold stones had died out, Even predictably appeared, leaning against the frame of the mirror in what Isak secretly liked to call his usual nonchalant I-am-superior-to-you-pose. "Nice save," he commented in a voice that made it impossible for Isak to discern whether he was serious or not. It was a problem he often faced when talking to Even; the older one was almost impossible to figure out.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>In the end, Isak determined that he was being sarcastic, so he decided to just raise his eyebrows and throw him a glance that hopefully said "I'm not in the mood for your bullshit" clearly enough.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I think we might have to consider the eventuality of me not being able to get you out with the method we've been using. We've been going at this for nearly three weeks now and we've looked through almost all of the books on the list. You've tried at least fifty or sixty different spells and none of them worked." He sighed. "I just don't think I can really help you with this anymore."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"We can always try the rest of the books."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You know just as well as I do that this won't change anything."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Even narrowed his eyes at him. "Do you intend to leave me high and dry, then? Just ignore me and leave me in here to rot?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Hva?" Isak spluttered. "Nei. Nei! I just think we should try...a different approach."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Even just cocked an eyebrow questioningly, clearly not too enthusiastic about hear his idea.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Isak rubbed his temple and tried to find the right words to explain. "Maybe this is just not working because you're trying to break the spell from the inside. Maybe it has to be undone from the outside. So...I've been thinking, if there are  wizard out there, like you said, why don't I go and try to find one who is willing to help us?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Even snorted. His face was nearly hidden by the shadows slowly growing darker and larger as the sun began to set, but even so Isak could tell he did not look happy. "Good luck with that."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Oh, come on. Surely you have some wizards friends who can get you out," Isak said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Even emitted a sound that was somewhere between a sharp laughter and a strangled gurgle. "Surely. That's why I am still here, because they were all so concerned and eager to find me when I vanished from the face of the earth so suddenly and unexpectedly." His voice was bitterer than Isak had ever heard it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Oh." Isak was at a loss of words. He hadn't thought about it in that way before. Now that Even had said it, he wondered why it had never occurred to him before. A man like him, who knew so many powerful people, should not have been abandoned for so long. Why had none of his friends come to look for him? Why had they not searched him? For them it certainly would have been easy to see him in the mirror, and between them, they should have been able to find a way to rescue him. "I don't believe there is no one who cares about you," he said finally.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yeah," Even replied darkly. "Before, I wouldn't have thought that either."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A familiar, tight know was forming in Isak's stomach, like it often did when he was in Even's presence. He wondered how he managed to pull through all that, to survive all the pain and disappointment he had experienced so far. "I will find someone," he promised before he could even stop to think about what he was saying. "Tell me the name of your closest friends and I swear I will find them."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"How?" Even asked. "They're not in the phone book, you know. They could be anywhere in the world. Heck, they could even be dead for all I know."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"It's worth a try," Isak insisted. "Where can I find them, if they're still here?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Even shook his head. "I know where you can find someone. There is a club called 'the villa oslo dancing' a lot of wizards go there for clients. Ask for Sana Bakkoush or Mahdi Disi.."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Clients ?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Well, beside living a normal human life with a normal job, we also use our powers to help people, it's no for free though."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Like what, love potion?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"It becomes offensive, kitten."</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The sound of his siblings' voices drifted towards him from downstairs, so he quickly went down to join them. "Hei," he said once he'd reached them. "Do you have any plans for tonight?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jonas blinked and tilted his head to the side in confusion. "Correct me if I'm mistaken but that almost sounds as if you are about to ask us out."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"No shit, Sherlock." Isak rolled his eyes. "As a matter of fact, I do. </span>
  <span>I've just thought...I haven't really been there for you these past days and...I wanted to make it up to you. So I thought I could be brave and handle another night roaming the clubs of Oslo."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Are you sure?" Jonas asked disbelievingly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I wouldn't propose it if I weren't," Isak pointed out.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm calling Eva."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Isak managed to keep the contortion of his facial muscles to a minimum. "Alright," he allowed. "But tell her I won't be held responsible for her or Magnus' actions."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Who said Magnus was coming?" Vilde asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Isak gave her a pointed look, and he could have sworn that, for a moment, she almost looked as if she was at the verge of blushing, but she schooled her expression quickly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>~</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I didn't know you lived here!" Eva exclaimed, sounding excited.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Vilde frowned. "Why? Have you been here before?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yeah," Eva said. "When my mum and her boyfriend finally hooked up, they considered moving and had a look at the house. I wish we would've moved in here, but that was years ago. I was only ten, but I still remember it. So," she continued, tilting her head to the side, "who got the haunted room?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jonas laughed and wound his arm around her hip, drawing her close. "Oh, so you heard that story, too?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Naturally."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Isak does and I must say, I have a feeling it is getting to him.. He hasn't complained about spotting any ghosts spooking around, though."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She turned to face Isak, looking genuinely curious. "Haven't you?" she asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Don't be ridiculous," Isak said, trying to look as aloof as possible. "There is nothing in the room."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eva smiled, small and secretive and he could swear that she knew. "Well, of course there is nothing in the room," she said, and the way she was stressing the words made it quite clear that she did know more than any of his family member knew. More than she was supposed to know, probably. It was hardly noticeable for anyone who didn't know what was going on, but for someone who did know... The realisation hit Isak like a brick wall. She knew about Even, and she was trying to find out if he knew, too.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jonas, completely ignoring the look his brother and his girlfriend had shared, scoffed. "Please, Eva. It's just a scary story."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Exactly," Isak replied, attempting to keep his voice calm, "there is nothing there."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eva's smile widened.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>From the corner of his eye, he could see Vilde frowning at Eva and him, as if she'd picked up on the subtle hint. Isak quickly tried to school his expression, which was not as easy as he'd hoped. Not only did he have to try and get over the shock of this finding, but he also had to conceal his excitement.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He had to admit that it somewhat bothered him that Eva of all people knew about Even – he didn't really know a lot about her, but he didn't like her very much. That was probably due to his still present jealousy whenever it came to one of jonas' girlfriends (because so far, he had only spoken to her for a grand total of five minutes, and that wasn't enough to judge a person), but still. However, if there was someone else who had seen Even before, then maybe she had some theories of her own that might be helpful. Plus, if she was able to see Even, then she maybe would know how to contact Sana Bakkoush.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"So, where are we going?" Magnus interrupted the exchange, apparently getting bored with it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"We haven't decided yet," Vilde shrugged. "Any ideas?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And that was exactly the moment when Isak got really lucky, because Eva piped up again. "The villa oslo dancing is my favourite," she said eagerly. "Have you been there yet? It's not that far from here, and probably the best club in Oslo."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Sounds good," Jonas agreed. Isak was sure he would have agreed to pretty much anything Eva would have proposed (looking at him, Isak couldn't help but notice that Jonas looked almost positively smitten, except that this wasn't a term he'd thought he'd use when talking about Jonas, ever, and he did not want to think about it), but in this case, he really couldn't care less. This was way going way better than he could have hoped for.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Fine by me," Isak shrugged, pretending to be indifferent.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Neither Vilde not Magnus had any objections, so they set off. Oslo by night was fairly loud, which was nothing unusual, but Isak saw the city in a different light now. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They reached the club after a walk of only twenty minutes. It was easy to tell they were approaching the club; not only did the music resound through the streets, but there were also a lot of people (most of them already drunk) making their way to and from the club. </span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"So," he began tentatively, "you have met Even."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eva blinked, confused, and for one horrible moment Isak thought he had been mistaken, that he had just imagined everything. But then understanding dawned on her face, and she nodded curtly. "I didn't know that was his name," she admitted, "we never really made it to formal introductions."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"So you don't really know anything, then." Isak was disappointed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eva shrugged helplessly. "I was only in this room for, like, five minutes. We had a little chat, but it was mostly about me. He seemed to be surprised that I could see him. Believe me when I say I was surprised, too. It's not every day that someone talks to you from out of a mirror."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Isak chuckled. "Tell me about it."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"So you can see him," Eva asked, "but the others can't?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Isak shook his head. "Do you know why?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"No idea," she said. "My mother couldn't see him either, I think." She frowned. "No, wait. I don't know. Now that I think about it, I don't think she ever entered the room at all." She shook her head. "To be honest, I don't even know why I was always so sure he was real when I never had any proof."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Isak laughed shortly. "I thought I'd gone mad, too, when I first saw him, but yeah, he is very real."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She smiled. "I knew it."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He could see Jonas making his way through the room, slaloming around the people standing in his way without bumping into anyone.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eva followed his gaze, and, knowing that they didn't have much more time, asked, "So what's it like, sharing a room with him?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Trying. Annoying. Fun. It's...complicated." Isak took a deep breath. "I'm trying to find someone to help him getting out."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She tilted her head. "You think there is someone who could do that?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"That's what I'm here to find out."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Here?" she repeated, perplexed, but then Jonas had reached them and she quickly cut herself off and smiled as she turned around to the boy who just flashed Isak a grin, pressed the drink into her hand and proceeded to drag her towards the dance floor, much like Vilde had done with Magnus. They were swallowed by the crowd in no time, and Isak lost sight of them only a few seconds later. He couldn't spot his  sister and Magnus anywhere, either.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He sighed and looked around. His dumb ass forgot to ask Even who he should ask for Sana Bakkoush.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Isak swallowed down the nervous lump in his throat.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A blink of an eye later, he was at the bar. Maybe the bartender ?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Excuse me , I've been looking for someone called Sana Bakkoush," he answered. "Do you know her?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The man frowned. "Sana Bakkoush?" he repeated and thought about it. "Yeah, I remember her. Not one to come here often, she doesn't really like people but there is a lot of good potential clients for her here. Why?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Do you know where I can find her?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The bartender shrugged. "Haven't seen her in ages," he said. "I don't remember where she lives."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Oh."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Seeing the disappointment written all over his face, the bartender took pity on him. "Sorry," he said, raising on arm to pat him on the shoulder. "I'll ask around if anyone know something, alright? It's all I can do."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"That would be great. Takk," Isak replied, but he couldn't help the frustration seeping through his voice. He didn't believe there would be any results tonight. It was just like Even had feared, it seemed; his so-called friends could be anywhere in the world. Fifteen years were a long time, after all.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Isak retreated into a far corner of the club, one that was darker and, most of all, a little quieter and less crowded. He jumped when, all of a sudden, he could feel someone's breath against him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I was led to believe you were searching for Sana Bakkoush?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Isak blinked. "Yeah," he confirmed once he had gotten over the shock. "Are you-"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The woman laughed. "Oh dear av alle gudene, nei."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"But you know where I can find her?" he asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Maybe," she smiled again, more slyly this time. "What do you want of her?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Isak frowned. There was something about her that made him wary. Maybe it was the way she held herself, dignified but as if she was always ready to jump at him and attack him. It was definitely the way her smile never seemed to reach her eyes. "I could be mistaken," he said slowly, "but I don't think this is any of your business..." he trailed off, waiting for her to fill the pause.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Sonja," she supplied, " And who, if I may inquire, are you?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Isak. Isak Valtersen," he answered after a moment of hesitation.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sonja's eyes widened. "Interesting," she murmured, "This is very interesting indeed."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"What is interesting?" Isak asked, but she ignored him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You are lucky I happened to be here tonight," she stated haughtily. "There are not many left who could tell you about the whereabouts of Sana Bakkoush, and you might have had to search for a long time before finding the slightest trace of her. She has been very reclusive these past years."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Where can I find her?" Isak repeated somewhat impatiently. "Where does she lives?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sonja stared at him for a moment, as if she was contemplating whether or not she should tell him this piece of information. "14 Nobels gate," she said in the end, still watching him with an off look on her face. "In Oslo," she added when Isak just blinked at her, not exactly knowing if that would help him in any way. "Send her my kindest regards, if you will."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He exhaled in relief. "Oh, good. Sure. Takk."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She smiled again. "You might not want to thanks me just yet, Valtersen," she stated mysteriously, but before Isak could ask what she meant by that, she had already disappeared into the crowd again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~ </span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They had come home very late that night, and when Isak had stepped into his room, Even had not been there. Not wanting to interrupt the boy's sleep, Isak had just gone to bed, figuring that he might as well tell him in the morning. Except that Isak couldn't sleep and got up again as soon as the first sun rays illuminated his room and, knowing that Even would be royally pissed if he woke him up that early in the morning, Isak just took a shower, got dressed, and set out for 14 Nobels gate.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He snuck a glance at his watch. 8 a.m. was definitely too early to wake any normal person on a sunday morning, but he determined the matter was urgent enough to justify an emergency call, or whatever one would call consulting a witch. So he took a deep breath and pressed the bell.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>For an excruciatingly long minute, nothing happened. Then, finally, he could hear the sound of someone shuffling behind the door, which then opened just the tiniest bit.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Sana?" he asked. "Sana Bakkoush?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Who are you?" a female voice asked, suspiciously. "What do you want?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"My name is Isak Valtersen. I need to talk to you," he said. "If you're the one I am looking for, that is," he added in an afterthought.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The door opened a bit wider, revealing a young woman. Like Even, she didn't look much older than he did, maybe around seventeen or eighteen, but Isak assumed that, if Even knew her from his time before the mirror incident, she must be a lot older than she looked as well. She also didn't seem to be very pleased to find someone at her doorstep, and somehow Isak felt this didn't only have something to do with the time of the day. "How did you find me?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"An old friend of yours needs your help. He sent me."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Who sent you?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Even Bech Næsheim."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>All colour drained from her face and she gasped. It wasn't only surprise that evoked this reaction, Isak determined. There was also a lot of discomfort replacing the initial shocked expression, and, most curiously, fear. "Please," he begged, convinced that she was about to close the door in his face any second. "Please, we really need your help. There's no one else I can ask."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Oh dear," Sana whispered.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Please."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She sighed, and stepped aside. Isak noticed the way her eyes flew from left to right, checking the street for anyone who might be watching them. When she spoke, her voice was tense. He wondered was she was so terrified of. "I think you should better come in."</span>
</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. fragmenterte sannheter</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sana Bakkoush flat was just as plain on the inside as it was on the outside, but it was warm and friendly and, most importantly, the living room was full of books, and Isak had the feeling that if the situation hadn't been so terribly awkward, he might have felt quite comfortable here. The witch had him sit down on one of the old wingback chairs and offered him a cup of tea before sitting down herself, wringing her hands nervously.</p><p>"Well," she began, after a minute or so of uncomfortable silence. "How do you know Even?"</p><p>Isak cleared his throat. "I, uh, kind of moved into his house. Into his room, to be more precise, actually."</p><p>That sounded even weirder when said out loud than in his head.</p><p>Sana blinked. "Excuse me?"</p><p>Well, now Isak just felt plain dumb. By now, Sana was probably thinking they had hooked up or something. Fuck. "I don't even know where to start," he confessed, rubbing his temple. "So...my family moved here from Odda a couple of weeks ago and we moved into Even's old house. Okay, no, this...is probably not the right way to explaining this. Okay, um. So. I suppose you remember when Even kind of...disappeared ?"</p><p>The witch's face was carefully composed, but Isak thought she was blanching a little more, and her lips were pressed into a small line. Strange. "I do." She shifted, but her body remained stiff. "Or rather, I remember that the last time I saw him was back then, but I was not aware he had disappeared."</p><p>"Oh?"</p><p>"Nei," Sana supplied.</p><p>Isak was pretty damn sure she should have heard the gossip. And then there was the way she kept avoiding his gaze and looking down at her clasped hands, and the slight tremble in her voice, that caused him to be wholly unconvinced by what she had said.</p><p>"Well, he did disappear," Isak deadpanned, and sat up a little straighter, "the thing is, he didn't really go anywhere. He was cursed."</p><p>Sana flinched slightly. "Cursed?" she echoed, but she didn't manage to sound half as shocked as she had intended to.</p><p>Okay, there was no way in hell she had been telling the truth about not noticing Even's disappearance. Isak might not be a pro at reading and understanding people, but this was so obvious that even a brick wall could have seen it. Assuming that this conversation would go over more smoothly if he pretended to buy this crap, he went along with it.</p><p>"Ja. He was cursed into a mirror. That's why I am here. I – we – need your help to get him out of there."</p><p>This time, Sana's surprise was genuine. "He is still in there?" she spluttered, disbelievingly. "He hasn't been able to free himself?"</p><p>Isak snorted. "That's exactly what I said." He rolled his eyes.</p><p>She flinched again. "How did you find me?" she inquired, warily. "I retired. There aren't many people who know where I live. Even doesn't know where I live now, either."</p><p>"I ran into a friend of yours."</p><p>"A friend?"</p><p>"Yeah. Sonja. She told me to send you her kindest regards."</p><p>Sana sat frozen. "Sonja," she repeated, and swallowed hard. "Now, this is a surprise."</p><p>"Why?"</p><p>She ignored his question. "And she gave you my address?" Just like that?"</p><p>"Yeah." Isak shrugged.</p><p>Sana frowned, seemingly lost in thought. A long silence followed, until Isak cleared his throat and spoke up again. "So," he said tentatively, "will you help us?"</p><p>Sana hesitated.</p><p>"Please," Isak urged. "I don't know where else to go. I can't help him and he can't help himself, and frankly, this is straining my nerves and he's stuck in the mirror of my freaking bedroom, and it's even worse for him, because he has been in there for over a decade. And he told me you two used to be friends. I don't know whether you really are or not, and I don't want to know, but even if something happened between the two of you, if you have a little sense of decency, you come with me and help us fix this. I'm sure he can pay you, too, if that eases your mind."</p><p>"I'm not interested in money," she snapped, looking angry now. "And of course he is my friend."</p><p>"Then I don't see what you are still waiting for."</p><p>She swallowed, and then, abruptly, stood up. "Fine. I'm coming with you to have a look at the situation. Just let me get my jacket."</p><p>Isak was sure he heard her murmur "I am going to regret this," but right now he was too excited to give it too much thought. He had done it. Granted, they had no guarantee Sana could help them, but with a professional on the other side of the mirror, they had the best prospect they'd had in weeks.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>~</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>When they reached his home, Isak opened the front door as quietly as possible. "My mother should be away," he provided," and my siblings are most likely still sleeping after the party yesterday, but it's probably better if we keep our voices down.</p><p>Sana frowned. "Are they not aware of Even's presence?"</p><p>Isak shook his head and started up the stairs. "Nei, they can't see him. It's just me."</p><p>The frown deepened. "I see."</p><p>Isak would have liked to ask her whether she understood this particular phenomenon, but by this time they had reached his bedroom, and as soon as he pushed open the door there was no more time to ask left, because Even was there and started talking as soon as he spotted Isak.</p><p>"Oh, there you are, fuck, Isak, I already worried about you. Did you come home at all last night?" He sounded worked up and relieved at the same time.</p><p>"I did," Isak said, shrugging and trying to hide that crazy-ass wide smile that was threatening to spread all over his face.</p><p>"And you didn't fucking feel the need to tell me you haven't been eaten ali-" Even cut himself off abruptly when Isak took a step to the side, revealing the person standing behind him. His eyes widened a little, but then he straightened and his expression went back to being kept carefully blank. "Sana. Long time no see."</p><p>"Halla, Even," Sana said quietly and stepped forward, paying his cold tone no heed. "It's good to see you again."</p><p>Even half-snorted, half-chuckled. "Yeah, it kind of is. I assume Isak filled you in?"</p><p>"He did inform me of your situation, yes." She looked down on the ground. "I'm sorry, Even. I didn't know you were still here. If I had known-"</p><p>"What, you would have come earlier?" Even interrupted her, huffing. "Yeah, right."</p><p>His voice was full of bitterness, and Isak had the feeling that this would not be pretty. For a moment, he considered leaving the two alone and not intruding their privacy, but then he figured it would be better to stay and make sure Even didn't get too carried away. He could understand his anger, he really could, because yes, his friends had turned out to be not good friends at all, but he didn't want Even to say anything stupid and make Sana refuse to help him. That would be the last thing they both needed, Even not being able to control himself.</p><p>"Did it not once in all these years occur to you that it might be a good idea to look for me?" Even asked coldly.</p><p>"Even, I-"</p><p>"Obviously not."</p><p>"I am sorry," Sana said again, but Even just huffed.</p><p>"I heard that, but that doesn't help me any," he pointed out. "In fact, I think the last years you showed exactly how much you care, namely not at all. And I'm not sure whether I am inclined to forgive you for this, ever, but if you want to redeem yourself you might want to start by getting me out of here. As far as I recall, you still owe me a favour or two anyway, so even if you don't have the intention of making it up to me, you could at least have the decency to pay me back for everything I did for you."</p><p>"I did care," she protested. "I thought you wouldn't want to see me."</p><p>Even blinked, clearly confused. "Why would you think I didn't want to see you?"</p><p>"Well, after I..."</p><p>His expression grew wary. "After you what?" he prompted, taking a step forward, until Isak thought he must have been almost pressing against the mirror from the inside.</p><p>Sana's body was trembling, and even though she had her back to Isak, he could tell she was on the verge of breaking out in tears, which was just peachy, because if she did he would be the one who'd have to comfort her, and he had zero experience in that field. The only person he'd ever had to comfort was Léa, and that was easy because you simply had to wrap your arms around her and eventually read another book to her.</p><p>"I didn't know you were still in here, I swear. I assumed you would have freed yourself long ago and-"</p><p>"You knew?" Even asked, horrified. "You knew about this?"</p><p>Still shaking, Sana nodded.</p><p>Isak thought that he had never seen Even look like this, as if he had just been stabbed in the back by someone he trusted completely. Which, if you looked at it from another perspective, was exactly what had happened. He had seen him look angry and sad and lonely, but this look of utter betrayal and devastation on his face was something he never wanted to see again. He had to admit that he would have liked to shake Sana and scream at her, but there was also a part of him that was just utterly confused and even a little sympathetic; she really sounded like she regretted this. Genuinely. Which only confused Isak even more, because if she was so sorry about it, why had she abandoned her friend in the first place?</p><p>"You were in on this," Even whispered, a slight tremor in his voice. "Av alle gudene, I can't believe this."</p><p>"Even-"</p><p>"Stop," Even said sharply. "I don't want to hear it. I don't want to hear your stupid excuses. I want you to reverse the spell and then I never want to see your face again. Ever, because I might break it. Do you understand?"</p><p>"Please let me explain."</p><p>"I don't think there is anything that could explain to me why you did this that I could actually understand," Even replied coolly.</p><p>"Ja, there is," Sana contradicted. "I know you will understand once you know the full story. Or maybe you won't, but you need to hear it. I don't expect your forgiveness, Even, because I don't think I deserve it, but please at least hear me out."</p><p>Even crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Very well. But make it short."</p><p>She let out a shaky breath. "I don't know where to start," she confessed.</p><p>The boy in the mirror was unimpressed. "I give you two more minutes," he declared impassively.</p><p>"It was a Saturday," Sana began quietly, her voice still trembling ever so slightly, "when Emma unexpectedly appeared on my doorstep. I was surprised – I didn't really know her after all, and she had no reason to seek for my assistance. She was quite a capable witch herself, as far as I recall. She asked me for a spell that would trap a living being in any kind of object. I inquired what she would do with this knowledge, and she told me exactly what she planned, who she wanted to use it on, and why." She swallowed. "Naturally, I refused."</p><p>Even snorted.</p><p>"She told me I shouldn't refuse until I had heard her full offer. I said there was nothing in the world that would ever make me do this to you. That was when Sonja appeared."</p><p>Even straightened. "Sonja?" he parroted, and then his lips curled into a small, bitter smile. "Oh, of course she would have her hands in this. I should have suspected as much. Tell me, then, what was your prize? How much did she pay to buy you? I hope it was at least worth it."</p><p>Sana took a deep breath. "She promised me she would bring my husband back to life."</p><p>Even froze. "Yousef? She told you she could resurrect Yousef?"</p><p>"Yes."</p><p>"And you believed her?"</p><p>"Yes. Sonja has been alive for centuries. She knows more things than you and I together."</p><p>Even shook his head. "Even for you, who is incredibly credulous and gullible, this is ridiculously naive," he commented matter-of-factly; Isak noted that the sharp edge to his voice had nearly disappeared. Now he merely sounded incredulous and, well, tired.</p><p>"She held her work," Sana remarked quietly.</p><p>Even's head snapped up. "You have got to be kidding me," he gruffed. "This is impossible."</p><p>"Apparently, it is not."</p><p>"You don't expect me to believe this, do you?" Even asked dryly.</p><p>A small smile appeared on Sana's face. "I will send him to see you," she said. "He will be so excited to see you. All this time he's been asking why you never came around, but I just told him you were travelling. It was an easy enough explanation for your absence, I suppose." The smile slipped away. "I haven't told him what I've done," she whispered. "I wanted to, but I couldn't get myself to do it. He would hate me."</p><p>"Nei, he wouldn't," Even interrupted her. "Yousef is too good a person to hate anyone. Especially not you. He has always loved you, and I don't think anything could ever change that."</p><p>Sana let out a quiet sob. "I'm so sorry, Even. I really am. But I missed him so much, and I couldn't bear the thought of spending the rest of eternity alone. So I gave them the spell, thinking that you would surely find a way to free yourself quickly. And when you didn't come to see me nor replied to the letter I wrote to you to explain everything, I assumed they had told you that I had helped them and that you didn't want to see me. I wouldn't have wanted to see me if I were you."</p><p>"It's okay, Sana," Even said, sighing. All of his anger seemed to have evaporated.</p><p>"Nei, it's not."</p><p>"Nei, it's not," Even agreed, "but I understand. I would have done the exact same thing."</p><p>She let out a small laugh. "You were always the one who told me not to wake the dead."</p><p>"True. But I have never loved anyone the way you loved Yousef," Even said sincerely. Then he cleared his throat. "Um, can we please end this moment of heartfelt confessions right here, though? I feel like I'm in some kind of chick flick, which is probably even a pretty accurate description of my situation, and while I usually love them, I'd really prefer to get on with the matter at hand. I'm still pissed at you, too, by the way, because you should have fucking come around to check on me earlier. But eventually I'll get over it and we can be friends again and kick Sonja's ass. And Emma's, too, preferably."</p><p>"Why did she curse you into that mirror, anyway?" Isak spoke up finally. He'd watched the scene in front of him with both interest and discomfort, feeling as if he intruded on a moment that was private and not for him to witness and yet too fascinated to just leave. However, he also seemed to be the only one aware that there were still a bunch of holes in this story. Or maybe that was just because he didn't know anything about the back-story, but he determined if there was any time to reveal the whole story, then this was it. "And don't give me that vague crap again," he warned Even.</p><p>The man blinked at him, as though he had almost forgotten Isak was still in the room, and then sighed and rubbed his temple. "I'm...not sure whether there is an actual logical explanation. Emma and I have never gotten along. I kinda hooked up with her supposed boyfriend a decade ago.."</p><p>Isak tried not to look too consternated.</p><p>"And Sonja...well, Sonja is another story. A long one." Upon seeing the don't give me that fuck again face Isak pulled, he added, "The important part, I guess, is that we used to be an item. There was a fallout. She has hated me ever since. And it would only be logical for her to side with Emma, because she obviously needed someone who could match my skills in certain areas to fulfil her plan. At least I am convinced that this was her idea. She's good at that kind of thing. Enough information?"</p><p>Isak gulped. "You dated Sonja? She doesn't seems nice" he blurted out, because, well, what the fuck?</p><p>Even frowned. "You've met her?"</p><p>"Well, I met her. She was the one who told me where to find Sana," Isak replied, doing his best not to inwardly freak out about the information that had just reached his ears. So Even played for both teams. So what? What did he care? Even would be out in a couple of minutes anyway, and then he'd be gone and Isak would never see him again. End of story. Happily ever after, blah blah blah. Isak would finally get his peace and sanity back, and Even could go off to hook up with anyone – or anything – he wanted, and Isak wouldn't care at all.</p><p>"I don't like that," Even said grimly. "Why would she do that if not to fuck us up later?"</p><p>Sana shook her head. "I'm not sure, but I assume it would be to amuse herself. She has been getting your hopes up, fully knowing that I would not be able to help you."</p><p>"Hva?" Isak and Even asked in unison.</p><p>"What the fuck do you mean you can't help us?" Even added, for good measure, but from the way the colour drained from his face Isak suspected he already knew the answer.</p><p>Sana sighed. "Emma didn't just curse you into this mirror, Even, and you know it. If you haven't managed to find a way around the obvious way to break the spell, then I won't find any, either. We both know this."</p><p>"Wait, what do you mean, 'the obvious way to break the spell'?" Isak asked, confused.</p><p>Sana sighed again and turned around to face him. "When Emma cast that spell, she was, as Even pointed out, still upset about this...incident involving him and her lover," she explained slowly. "She and Sonja was convinced that Even was not able to be loved because of... well, that's not important. But that is why she added a clause that not even I, nor anyone, can circumvent."</p><p>Isak felt his heart broke in pieces. Not able to be loved.</p><p>"And what would that clause be?"</p><p>"That the spell can only be broken by love."</p><p>There was a long pause in which Sana just looked terribly guilty and ashamed, Even seemed to veer between being angry and thoroughly nauseated, and Isak...well, Isak could only think one thing :</p><p>"What a fucking cliché."</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>~</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Even's expression was one of utter shock and panic. "You have got to be kidding me," he said weakly, but from the way Sana's expression twisted in discomfort and pity, Isak could tell that she wasn't lying, not this time, and he knew that, as much as Even wanted to believe otherwise, he was also aware that this was the truth.</p><p>"Now that's just peachy," Isak spat out. He really wanted to punch something. Badly. In a remote corner of his mind Isak was aware that, wow, although he had always had a bit of a temper, he seriously needed some anger management. He's been angry and frustrated a lot lately, a whole lot more than usual, and he felt like he really needed to get a grip, because wrecking his furniture wouldn't get him anywhere. Hell, he didn't even know what or whom he was angry with. Even? Sana? The witch who had cursed Even? Himself? His life, for not making any fucking sense anymore at all?</p><p>"Isak-" Sana started, but he didn't let her finish.</p><p>"No, seriously," he hissed, throwing his hands up in frustration. "That's just perfect." Oh, look, he thought, he'd learned being sarcastic after all. He'd have to Takk Jonas for that later. Or maybe not. "How in hell are we supposed to find Even's true love? Bring every girl that passes by the street into my room and see if she falls for him? And boys, too, and members of every other species, because apparently there isn't anything or anyone Even is not willing to do?"</p><p>"I'm in this room, you know," Even said through gritted teeth, and Isak bet that if he wasn't stuck behind that glass and practically restrained, he would have very much liked to unleash his frustration on Isak with more than just words as well. "Stop talking as if I wasn't there."</p><p>"Well, technically you're not in this room, and I can say whatever the fuck I want. And it's nothing but the truth, right?"</p><p>"Could we please stop shouting at each other and being so pessimistic?" Sana tried to calm them down, with little success - or, to be honest, none at all.</p><p>"Nei," Isak said shortly. He knew he was behaving like a prat and possibly hurting Even, but right now, he couldn't care less.</p><p>"I don't see how I could not be pessimistic," Even pointed out, his voice strained. "For once, I agree with Isak. In all these years I have been alive I haven't been able to find my 'one true love', as you called it, if such a thing even exists, which I highly doubt, by the way. Now I can't even move freely in order to meet new people that could possibly fall in love with me. And even if Isak did agree to let strangers into this bedroom - which I doubt as well, not to mention that it would be impossible to do that without his family noticing, and I don't see how that could end well - frankly, I also doubt that this would be a successful strategy. There are far over six billion people living on this planet, and for all we know, my 'one true love'," he deadpanned, emphasizing his point by wiggling his fingers to imitate quotation marks, "could live in Zimbabwe. This person might not even be born. Chances are he or she or they will never even be aware of my existence, just like it happens with ninety-five percent of earth's population anyway. Not to mention that most people aren't even able to see me. Yeah, those are real great premises. What do you expect me to do? A happy dance?"</p><p>"No one said anything about 'one true love'," Sana interjected. "Just...love. A person who loves you and whom you love back. Genuinely. I'm not talking about The One Soulmate with capital letters."</p><p>"Great, Takk, that makes it so much better," Even replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm.</p><p>Isak immediately felt bad for lashing out at him and Sana before when he saw the look in his eyes. What right did he have to be angry and upset? Ja, the entire situation did put a strain on his nerves as well and right now he wanted nothing more than to really have his room for himself, but he was really not the one who got the worst of it. Ja, he was affected by Even's fate, but feeling sorry for himself here? Nei, that was way out of line. If he had to be angry or upset, it should be for the right reasons: namely for feeling with Even. Isak couldn't even begin to fathom what the man must feel like right now. He had spent years in solitude, locked into a tiny place with no light and no space to move and then, when he had finally been able to get his hopes up with a reason, he had them crushed in the most devastating way. They all knew this wasn't going to end well; even Sana, who so desperately tried to cheer him up – mostly because of pity and her guilty conscience, Isak suspected, or maybe because she seemed to be the kind of person who was almost always nice to everyone and cared a great deal about the others' wellbeing. He just wished she had cared a little more a lot earlier, before, then they wouldn't have to deal with this mess right now.</p><p>Isak sighed. "Okay, Sana is right, let's just...let's just...not do this. This isn't going to get us anywhere. Let's think and figure out a way to solve this."</p><p>For a split second, something akin to surprise and genuine gratitude flashed in Even's eyes, but these sentiments were immediately replaced with a bitter grimace. "As much as I appreciate your concern and your willingness to help, I think we all know this is futile."</p><p>"But-"</p><p>"It's not worth the effort, Isak. Just...leave it."</p><p>Isak stared at him incredulously. "You can't possibly mean that! You can't want to give up now!" he exclaimed.</p><p>"What, are you a psychic now?" Even replied flippantly. "I daresay I know better what I want than you do."</p><p>Isak bit back a snarky remark that was lying on the tip of his tongue and said, stubbornly, "Don't kid me. Of course you still want to get out. No one would want to rot in there. So we'll find a way. Somehow."</p><p>Even snorted but otherwise remained silent. It was a good sign, Isak supposed, and interpreted as the man's way of silently agreeing with and thanking him. He turned to Sana. "Any other ideas?"</p><p>"As of now?" Sana shook her head. "Nei. But I will try to find something. I have several books specifically on curses and spells concerning love – maybe I will find something useful in them." She looked straight at Even, then, despondence and regret clear on her face. "It's the least I can do."</p><p>Isak nodded. "Good. I'll show you out, then." He figured that Even might want to have some time for himself right now to digest what he had just learned, and he also wanted Sana to start as soon as possible.</p><p>They walked quietly down the stairs, trying to make as little sound as possible. His siblings still hadn't gotten up and he had to admit that he was kind of grateful they had stayed out so long last night. However, when they reached the front door, there was one question he couldn't hold back.</p><p>"Why can I see him?" he blurted out, cutting off her good-bye.</p><p>She started. "I don't know."</p><p>"Yes, I think you do," Isak insisted. "You know more about this spell keeping him contained in this prison than any of us. Even has been trying to find an answer, but he hasn't come up with anything plausible."</p><p>"Is it really that important?" Sana wondered.</p><p>"Ja for me, it is. Because Eva, my adoptive brother 's...girlfriend...she could see him, too."</p><p>The witch sighed. "I don't know anything for sure," she replied calmly. "But I do have a theory."</p><p>"Tell me." Isak scrutinized her face. "Because I think it might be important."</p><p>Sana sighed again. "Ja, I fear so as well. However, I can by no means promise that my theory will prove to be correct. Not before I have done some research."</p><p>Isak rolled his eyes impatiently. He hated it when people danced around the issue and avoided wording the problems at all costs. Maybe it was because he hardly ever understood irony and sarcasm, but he had always been blunt and had likewise always preferred people who were straightforward. He knew how to shut his mouth and be polite, too, and that there were some things you just didn't say. This situation was not one where they should keep secrets from one another, though – not when it came to something that might or might not help them. "Tell me anyway."</p><p>She looked him directly in the eyes, her expression both solemn and concerned. "Well," she said slowly, "this entire curse is about love; it's the most essential factor in this equation. Therefore I assume that this is linked to it as well."</p><p>"In what way?" Isak pressed.</p><p>"My guess would be that only persons who either already loves or has loved him, or people who could potentially fall in love with him – or, respectively, people he might fall in love with – can see him."</p><p>Isak started. "Come again?"</p><p>"I think you heard me just fine. Also, I am sure you have considered this possibility as well."</p><p>"Um," Isak blinked. "Nei!"</p><p>Sana simply raised her eyebrows.</p><p>There were a thousand thoughts whirling through his head right now. Funny enough, the first thing that came out of his mouth was: "Wait, so if you're saying only persons who have loved him or might love him can see him, do you mean...I mean, you two too?" Isak had the horrifying feeling that his voice was sounding less disbelieving and reproachful than rather...upset, going by the way it seemed to rise an octave or two at the end of the question.</p><p>Sana looked mildly scandalized by the accusation. "Hva? Nei. Nei! We have always just been friends."</p><p>"Oh." Isak was almost embarrassed at how relieved he was. "I suppose friendship is a kind of love," he amended finally. "Which is probably why Eva and I can see him, too."</p><p>The witch cleared her throat. "Maybe," she said vaguely. "Would you consider Even your friend?"</p><p>Isak shrugged. "I guess so, yeah. Kind of. We are...I mean, this is really fucked up and I don't think we would have ever spoken a word to each other if we had met each other in another situation or place, but-"</p><p>"Oh, I think you would have," Sana murmured and smiled lightly. "I should leave now. As soon as I find out something, I will contact you. If anything happens, you know where to find me."</p><p>Isak nodded. "Good luck."</p><p>He didn't return to his room until a few hours later, instead opting to go and watch TV, something he hadn't done in a while. He had never been much of a TV person, and to be honest, what was on in the morning was usually a whole lot of crap, nothing else. This time, however, he was grateful for the dulling effect it had on his brain; the less he used it to think, the less probability there was he'd have another headache by the end of the day. He'd had a lot of those since they had moved to Oslo.</p><p>He didn't like Sana's theory. He didn't like it one bit. Sure, in a way it might come in handy, simplifying their quest to find the person who could break the spell (not that Isak would actually agree to let everyone in his bedroom just to check that, ever). On the other hand, it worried him. It worried him because of what it meant for him. He had seen it clearly on Sana's face when he had uttered his 'friendship is a sort of love' phrase.</p><p>She didn't believe it.</p><p>And now what the hell did that mean? That he was actually one of the persons who could, theoretically, fall for Even? Yeah, um, no. Not likely. Yes, Even was a very good looking guy, and he could be extremely charming, and Isak was totally not thinking about how hot he was. At all. Either way, it didn't matter what he thought about Even's looks, because this had nothing to do with love.</p><p>Anyway.</p><p>Their friendship was a strange one. Sometimes Isak wasn't even sure whether the term friendship actually applied to them. Like he had told Sana, he couldn't really picture him being the man's friend in, well, real life. In the real world where crazy stuff didn't happen they probably wouldn't even have met. And if they had, they wouldn't have hit it off, he assumed. They were just too different. Ja, they had pulled themselves together and established a more or less well-functioning work relationship, and maybe something a little more, maybe something you could call friendship, but despite everything, Isak doubted Even would want to have anything to do with him once he got out. Which would be entirely understandable – if Isak were in Even's place, he wouldn't want to have anything to do with someone who reminded him of these horrendous times either. Still, this wasn't a real friendship. More like...camaraderie. Or something,</p><p>But certainly not love.</p><p>And he did not want to think about what it would mean that Eva had been able to see him as well if Sana's theory was true. Not at all. Wasn't it enough that she got his brother wrapped around her finger? Did she also have to be a potential lover of his Even?</p><p>His.</p><p>Not his.</p><p>Shit.</p><p>Freudian slip. Anyway. He was so not thinking about that right now.</p><p>Groaning, Isak pushed himself up and returned to his room to see whether Even had cooled down a little. They probably needed to talk through their next courses of action, determine what to do. He didn't think there would be anything useful coming out of that conversation, but Isak was a rational person and he liked to have everything planned out as minutely as possible. He would have liked to know what to prepare for next. Improvisation was not his forte, and so far basically all they had done here was improvise, which was one of the reasons it made Isak feel so uncomfortable.</p><p>Even was indeed still there when he entered, and he did look as if he had gotten a bit of a grip on himself. His face was still shut-off and distant, but at least he looked more or less calm and composed.</p><p>"I've been thinking," he announced as soon as Isak had shut the door behind him.</p><p>"About what?"</p><p>Even gave him a deadpan look that clearly said 'Duh, what do you think has been on my mind lately?', which, Isak had to admit, would be a legitimate question, while his had been a pretty dumb one. Of course the man had been pondering ways to get him out with the new information they had learned.</p><p>"Okay," Isak said, letting himself flop back on the bed to stare at the ceiling. "Shoot ahead. What's your theory?"</p><p>Even leaned against the frame of the mirror. "If love is the only way of getting me out," he began, slowly but unhesitant, "I daresay the solution is pretty simple."</p><p>"Oh yeah?" Isak asked. "Simple? Interesting. Because I think that makes it pretty complicated."</p><p>"I need you to kiss me."</p><p>Isak blinked, sure that he hadn't heard that correctly. "Hva?"</p><p>"I need you to kiss me," Even repeated matter-of-factly.</p><p>This was so not happening. Isak bolted upright and stared at Even. "Hva?"</p><p>"You heard me just right." The man shrugged indifferently. "It's surprisingly easy when you think of it. I can't believe it hasn't occurred to me before. We are practically stuck in some stupid parody of Snow White, Sleeping beauty...the list goes on." He looked at Isak expectantly, as if to ask him what the hell he was waiting for.</p><p>A lot of things were whirling through Isak's head and lying on the tip of his tongue, waiting to be said. Like what the hell? Or you have got to be kidding me. Or have gone mad? Or I can't believe you just compared yourself to a princess.</p><p>In the end, he settled for "Nei."</p><p>Even started. "What do you mean, 'nei'?"</p><p>"Just what I said," Isak shook his head in disbelief. "Nei. I am not going to kiss you. No way."</p><p>"What's your problem?"</p><p>Isak shook his head again. "This is never going to work. You said it yourself. Love, remember? I don't love you. You don't love me."</p><p>"It's worth a shot," Even shrugged.</p><p>"Nei."</p><p>"Oh, get your head out of your ass, will you," Even bit out, rolling his eyes. "It's just a kiss. No need to make such a fuss about it."</p><p>"You – just a – you know what?" Isak spluttered, feeling the heat of anger rising and rushing through his body. "Go fuck yourself! I'm not your fucking toy, okay? I'm not some object you can use and exploit as you like and then throw away! I'm a living person with feelings and I am not your fucking tool."</p><p>"I never said you were."</p><p>"Well, but you are treating me like one."</p><p>"It's just a kiss!" Even insisted. "It's nothing important."</p><p>"Yeah, well, maybe for you it's nothing important, but I'm not some slut" Isak spat out. "I suppose it's a concept that escapes your understanding, but I am not kissing someone I don't want to kiss."</p><p>Even snorted. "Hate to break it to you, but if you're waiting for your adoptive brother to kiss you, you'll grow old and wrinkled before that happens."</p><p>Isak froze. "Hva?" he whispered. "What did you say?"</p><p>Even waved his hand impatiently. "I'm talking about Jonas and your crush on him. And Ja, I know you are still in the closest – hell, you are probably still in denial – but Ja, you still have a big fat gay crush on him. But it's not going to happen. You know that just as well as I do. So stop being such a prude and live a little. There's no use waiting for him, and there's nothing wrong with kissing another guy."</p><p>"I don't have a crush on my adoptive brother," Isak hissed. "Stop saying that!"</p><p>"I know you don't like to hear it, but it's nothing but the truth." Even's voice was cold and harsh. "Don't waste your time waiting on him. And get the hell over yourself. It's just a kiss."</p><p>"Shut up!"</p><p>Isak didn't know what was the last straw that made him snap, the way Even kept on taunting him, his coldness, his scorn or maybe something else, but before he realised what he was doing, he held the heavy bookend that stood on his desk in his hand and hurled it at the mirror. The glass shattered with a loud, crashing sound where it found its target, and Even's scream reverberated through the air.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. fra bedre til verre</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Isak regretted his actions even before the heavy bookend hit the glass, but by the time he realised what he was doing, it was already too late. Before the possible consequences of his action had come to his mind, all he could think about was the sound of chinking glass and Even screaming in pain. Isak could see him clutching his side and stumbling backwards, disappearing from his field of vision, and a sense of utter terror rushed through his body, making the blood in his veins curdle.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Even?" he rasped, bolting forward. "Even?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>There was no answer, and the knot in Isak's chest grew tighter. "Shit!" he cursed. "Shit shit shit shit shit!"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He stilled for a moment, trying to regain composure, but that wasn't working out to well. Cautiously, he took another step forward to inspect the damage, careful not to step on the tiny shards scattered on the floor. Some little bits and pieces of the mirror had been quarried out, but all in all, he supposed it could have been worse; he should be glad he had only used the wooden bookend and not the metal one, he assumed, or the mirror would have been completely destroyed. While a large part of the mirror remained intact, there was, however, a rather large web of cracks spreading from where the bookend had hit the glass on the right side of the mirror, leaving the glass cracked and his reflection fragmented.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Even was nowhere to be seen.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Isak felt the panic surge again. Faen.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Even," he asked urgently. "Even, can you hear me?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He didn't get an answer either.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Isak cursed again. In this very moment, he could hear the faint creak of his bedroom door being opened. As always, his siblings had the worst timing ever.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>When he turned around, Jonas was leaning in the doorway, his eyebrows raised. "Whoa," he said dryly. "Someone has some serious self-hatred issues."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Usually, his teasing tone wouldn't have earned him more than a roll of his eyes from Isak's side, but right now he was so not in the mood for jokes. "Shut up, Jonas. Please."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Jonas' eyebrows only rose higher. "Seriously, man, what got your pants in a twist? I know you have some fits occasionally, but you're not usually the furniture-destroying type."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Isak bit his tongue and forced himself to get a grip. "Nothing. I just...stumbled and...erm...the bookend slipped out of my hand and...well." </span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Anyway," Jonas said, taking a casual step back, obviously not inclined to repeat his words. "I'm out. Meeting Eva, you know?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Isak forced himself to give him a more or less genuine smile and nodded. "Have fun," he said in a voice that even he realised was a really crappy imitation of cheerfulness. Jonas frowned but apparently decided he wasn't concerned enough to be late for his date, waved lazily and disappeared down the hallway. As soon as he was out of sight and hearing range, Isak fished for his cell phone and quickly dialled a number he had only saved this morning.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sana picked up on the fourth ring. "I know you are both impatient, Isak, but I cannot work wonders," she sighed.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He didn't even bother replying to that and went straight to the point. "I broke the mirror," he said simply, and the intense feeling of guilt was wrenching his guts again.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>There was a long silence. Isak thought that maybe he should remembered to tell her to sit down before dropping the bomb, but then again, it didn't sound like she had collapsed – he was sure he would have heard her hitting the floor – so he figured she would be alright. And she was probably already getting used to getting shell-shocked by him, so... Finally, he heard her take in a deep breath. "I will be there immediately," she promised, and hung up before he got the chance to thanks her.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He spent the next thirty minutes that passed until her arrival pacing up and down his room. After several failed attempts at talking to Even, he had given up, assuming that either Even did not want to talk to him or...or, well, something worse had happened to him. He pushed that particular thought as far out of his mind as possible, because the notion alone made him want to throw up. Then, finally, the doorbell rang and he rushed down to let Sana in.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She didn't spend any time with courtesies and just headed for his room again at once. "What exactly happened?" She demanded tersely.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Isak inhaled deeply. "We were fighting. I was angry and...and I threw a book at the mirror. It's not shattered," he added, closing the door behind him. "Not completely, but there are some major cracks in the glass."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sana stepped in front of the mirror, examining the damage much like Isak had done earlier, but not daring to touch anything. He couldn't see her face, but he knew what her expression would be like at this very moment anyway – one of shock and worry, and, well, she'd be blaming him. Of course she would. Hell, he was blaming himself, too.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Still, he was glad he didn't have to see her look at him like that.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"What about Even?" Sana asked. "Is he alright?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Isak swallowed hard. "I don't know. But...but I don't think so. He..."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"He what?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"He sounded like he was in pain. When the glass broke, I mean. And...I don't know, either he's just refusing to talk to me or..." he trailed off. Sana didn't need him to finish that sentence to understand what he was getting at. He didn't want to finish that sentence himself.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Well, there is an easy way to find out," Sana said after a moment of collecting herself, and turned to the mirror again. "Even?" she asked. "Even, can you hear me?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>There was a short moment of silence, followed by some shuffling and a suppressed groan. "Ja." Even's voice sounded rough and strained, nothing like his usual melodic and velvety voice. For a moment, Isak almost didn't realise it was him talking.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>There was another sharp intake of breath, and Sana tensed. "Even?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Ja, hold on a second, I'm trying to get up."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Don't strain yourself."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Even let out a shuddering laugh. "I don't think it'll do any more damage. I'll be fine." Finally, he appeared in their field of sight again, and this time it was Isak who couldn't suppress a gasp.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Even was clearly not so much standing as leaning on the frame of the mirror, breathing heavily and looking like he was about to collapse anytime. He was clutching his left side, just underneath his ribcage – about the height where the bookend had hit the glass, the rational part of his brain informed him, unsolicited – and the shirt underneath his hands was stained with blood.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Av alle gudene," Sana whispered. "Even..."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The man smiled thinly and waved it off. "Don't worry about it. It's not as bad as it looks."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Isak huffed. "Is that supposed to be reassuring?" he asked. "Because it's not working."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Even tensed upon hearing his voice and ignored him completely, instead addressing Sana again. "I mean it," he said. "I haven't lost that much blood, and the bleeding has almost stopped. As it is, it's not the blood loss I am concerned about."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"What are you worried about, then, when it's not that you have a leaking gash in your side?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Slowly, Even lifted his T-shirt a bit, making an effort not to move too much or too rapidly, but still flinching from time to time. He didn't have to reveal much of his stomach to prove his point. There was a rather deep wound where the glass had broken out of the mirror completely, but he had indeed succeeded in more or less stemming the bleeding. What looked more troubling were certainly the dark lines that, starting from the centre of the damage – the deep gash – had begun to spread over his torso. That was definitely not what would happen with a usual injury.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>And, as Isak noted, the black lines followed the exact pattern the cracks in the glass did. The realisation came to him like a fist to the stomach and yes, now he did feel even worse than before. He hadn't thought that was possible, but it was.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The man cracked another weak smile and let the shirt drop down again. "They're not spreading anymore, so I hope this is a good sign. Also, it almost doesn't feel like I'm cut into pieces with a burning knife anymore, so I guess that's a good sign."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sana nodded and gently laid her hand on the cracks. Even bit his lip, clearly in pain when she touched the part of the mirror that was connected to his wound, but it still seemed to be bearable. However, as soon as she started chanting her incantation, Even bit back another scream and recoiled violently, stumbling back several steps and hardly managing to keep himself afoot. Sana jerked back her hand, shocked.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"I don't understand," she said frantically. "I'm sorry, Even, I-"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"It's okay," he interrupted her, still breathing hard. "Not your fault."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"I don't understand," Sana said again. "This spell should have repaired the glass."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Well, obviously it has a reversed effect here." Even grit his teeth, nodding towards the glass.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>With some horror, Isak realised that the crack were spreading again. Just a bit, but they were growing bigger. It only took one look at how Even's face contorted in pain to understand that the lines on his body were spreading as well. Suddenly, his knees buckled and he crumpled to the ground, out of their sight again.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Even?" Sana called in panic.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Yeah," Even answered after a moment, between several gasps. "In attendance. Forgive me for not wanting to get up at the moment. I think I might just lie down for while and admire the ceiling. It really is an excellent view. I hadn't realised that before."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sana shook her head. "av alle gudene forbid that you ever lose your sense of humour."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Even let out a strangled laugh. "If I'd lost that I'd be long dead."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"What can I do?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Nothing. Well, nothing more than you did before. Pore over every book you have and find something that will help me."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sana swallowed and nodded. "I will be in touch," she promised. "Take care of him," was all she said to Isak before showing herself out.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Isak stood in the middle of the room for a long time, unmoving, unsure what to do. It was crystal clear that Even did not desire to talk to him, and it was probably for the better if took it slow and didn't talk too much anyway. Also, there wasn't much Isak could do to make things better – if there was anything at all in the first place, which he doubted. Still, he desperately wanted to do something. Anything. Anything would be better than standing there and feeling completely useless and utterly guilty.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He cleared his throat and tentatively approached the mirror.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Even?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>No answer.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Even?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Shut up," the man growled from behind the glass. "I'm not talking to you."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The smartass part of Isak's brain would have liked to point out that, ja, he was talking to him in that very second, but smartassery was definitely uncalled for now. "I'm sorry, Even", he said instead, and he meant it. "I'm really, really sorry. I didn't mean to do that. I didn't mean to hurt you."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Not good enough," Even hissed. "You should have thought of that before hurling heavy objects at me. Personally, I hope that you'll have more than just seven years of bad luck for breaking that mirror. And if you'd shut up now I would maybe be able to concentrate."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Isak frowned. "Concentrate on what?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>There was an annoyed huff. "On anything other than the pain."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Oh." Isak's shoulders slumped. "You could...concentrate on our conversation, if that helps to distract you," he offered weakly.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Takk, but Nei."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Sorry for feeling like an ass and trying to help."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"There wouldn't be need for any of this is you could control your temper."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"I wouldn't have lost my temper if you hadn't behaved like such an ass," Isak countered, only to bite his tongue and regret his words the second they'd left his mouth. It was true, of course, if Even's comments hadn't gotten him that worked up he'd never thrown the book at him, but hell, he couldn't just keep on blaming Even for all this. He sighed, rubbing his temples in a feeble attempt to chase away the approaching headache. "Is this how it's going to be?" he asked quietly. "Are we just going to keep blaming each other for everything that's happened?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>There was another long silence, and for a moment Isak was sure that Even wasn't even listening to him anymore, that he had gone back to whatever he was doing to ignore the pain as well as he could. Then he heard Even sigh. "I don't know. Maybe. Maybe we will always be at each other's throats."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"I don't want to be," Isak admitted.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Yeah, me neither." Another pause. "Why are we still talking?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Isak almost smiled. "Does it help?" he asked instead of answering, because frankly, he wasn't quite sure why Even hadn't been more insistent on getting rid of him.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The man took a moment to contemplate. "A little."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Then that's why, I suppose." He shrugged. "I meant it, you know."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Hva? That you didn't want to hurt me?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Ja."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Even sighed. "I know. But it doesn't change anything."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Isak tried to ignore the stab of pain these words caused. Somehow it was all made worse by the fact that Even didn't even sound mad anymore. He just sounded tired and defeated, like he didn't even have the strength to fight with him anymore.r He'd take his anger, he'd take his snappy and snarky comments, everything, rather than this. Like this, Even was actually scaring him.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sometimes, in occasions like this, Isak wondered what Even had been like before being cursed. He couldn't imagine him without his teasing and flippancy, but he guessed that without the bitterness constantly seeping into his voice, he might have made people laugh a lot. He would have been the one who was always at the centre of everyone's attention, the popular guy who was loved and envied by many, who had tons of friends but few people who actually knew him. And he would have definitely been the kind of guy to not look at Isak twice if they'd met under different circumstances.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Thinking about it, it kind of hurt. Strangely enough, he could almost not imagine his life here without having met Even, mostly, he suspected, because Even had taken up such a big part of his life ever since he moved here, albeit reluctantly. But on the other hand, he would have gladly given that all up just to not see Even suffering like that.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He might not be the one who put him in the situation in the first place, but he was the one who had made everything so much worse. They didn't even know what was happening to Even and he couldn't stand to think about it, either.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Stop it."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Isak blinked. "Hva?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Even sighed. "Blaming yourself. I can almost hear you wallowing in your misery and self-disdain. Stop it. I kind of asked for it."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Isak could hardly believe his ears. "Even, you're not the one who should be apologising. I'm not the one who got hurt. I'm the one who overreacted. I'm - "</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Shut it. I'm trying not to be mad at you, so humour me and don't remind me, okay?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Isak froze. There was an unspoken implication behind his words that he picked up on immediately, and he didn't like it one bit. "Don't talk like that."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Like what?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Like you're going to –" He broke off, unable to speak it out loud. He didn't even want to think about it, how in hell was he going to utter something like this?</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Die?" Even finished his sentence for him, and Isak flinched. "No point beating around the bush, kitten. It's highly likely that this is what will happen and I, for my point, don't want to go being full of resentment."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Don't say that! You're not going to die! I won't let that happen!" Isak choked out.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Takk." The man let out a shuddering breath, and Isak could tell he was still in pain, despite his best efforts to hide the strain in his voice. "I appreciate that, but...let's be realistic here, please. It's only a matter of time." He laughed faintly. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"I'm not going to watch you die, Even," Isak said, his voice thick. It didn't come out half as forceful and determined as he'd intended.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"It's a good thing you can't see me while I'm lying here, then," Even joked weakly.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Don't. please, just – don't." Isak swallowed and stood up quickly. "I'll call Sana. Maybe I can help her. Maybe I can –"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Nei," Even pleaded. "Don't go. Please. I don't want to be alone. Stay."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Isak inhaled deeply, yet again feeling like he was going to throw up. Every fibre of his being wanted to get away, to not do this, to negate that the situation was really that bad, but he couldn't. He couldn't walk out and ignore Even's wish, not when he asked him as if it might be the last thing he'd ever wish for. It was the last thing Isak wanted to do, but he owed Even that. He owed him so much more than that, but if it was the least he could do, then he would.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Okay," he said slowly, crouching down in front of the mirror again, hoping that Even would feel the proximity. "Okay. I'm not going anywhere."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>~</span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The days that followed what Isak privily called "The Incident", for the lack of a better or less painful term, quickly turned into what he would later dub his personal hell. Which was a curious thing to say, admittedly, because they were nothing like what he had always imagined his own, specific hell to be like.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Most of the time, Isak wished he could just close his eyes and it would all go away, that he'd wake up as soon as he blinked them open again and it would have all been nothing but a bad dream. But it was real, every single part, every second of it, and Even was probably dying, and there was nothing he could do except for sitting by the mirror and keeping the man company, as little good as that did him. There were moments – quite a lot of them, actually – when he just wanted to run away to not have to see this, because he wasn't sure whether he could bear it one more moment, but in the end, he always stayed. He owed Even that much (and much, much more, things that he would never be able to give him now).</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He was sure that both Jonas and Vilde has noticed that he spent even more time in his room than usual (in fact, he never really left it except for the times when he had to eat something), but luckily they hadn't really commented on it, mostly because they didn't spend a whole lot of time at home these days; had the situation been different, Isak probably would have followed both their developing relationship with Eva and Magnus respectively with some interest.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>If he had had trouble getting a good night's sleep and some actual rest before, he had now turned into a downright insomniac. The sleep-deprivation didn't make anything easier and certainly didn't help his brain in coming up with a brilliant solution or something, but no matter how decidedly Even insisted he get some sleep, Isak couldn't bring himself to get more than two or three hours of sleep per night. By the third day after the bookend disaster, Isak was bone-tired, both in his body and his mind, but his worry for Even prevented him from falling asleep. For all he knew, he might walk out of the room for an hour and when he came back Even would be dead.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"You worry too much," Even told him nearly hourly. "Stop fidgeting. I can't even see you while lying here, but you're making me nervous."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Isak didn't like how Even seemed to have accepted his fate by now, and always had to fight the urge to tell him that he had a veritable and thoroughly justified reason to worry, but in the end, he just tried to get a grip on himself – at least a little. Instead, he held onto the last straw of hope they had, which was Sana succeeding in finding a way to mend the mirror and heal Even in the wake. For that, they had to keep waiting, which he was horrible at.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The only thing that gave him a little comfort was that while Even was in constant pain and spent most of the time lying down because sitting up was too painful for him, his condition didn't seem to get worse. Or at least that was what Even told him. Apparently, the dark lines had stopped spreading any further, just like the cracks in the glass hadn't spread, and so had the bleeding. Isak was now extra careful not to come too close to the mirror or do anything that would cause the glass to be damaged any further, but he suspected that saving Even from future harm would not help keeping him alive. Whatever had happened to him when the mirror had broken, the injuries caused were not healing in the slightest, and he didn't think Even could live forever with those wounds. The fact that his condition seemed to be relatively stable gave him hope that maybe there would be time for them to find a cure, although the chance of this was small.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>One of them had to cling to the last straw of hope, he guessed, because he was not letting Even die alone in there. He wasn't.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"You do realise you keep thinking aloud, don't you?" Even's teasing voice interrupted his musings.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Isak felt the heat of a faint blush creeping up his neck, and for a second he was glad that Even couldn't see him. Then he was reminded of the reason he couldn't, and he sobered up immediately. "Hmpf," he grunted, non-committally.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Even let out a quiet laugh. "You're blushing again, aren't you?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Nei," Isak lied through his teeth.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Yeah, right. You totally are. What a shame I can't see you right now."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Isak shook his head. "I never thought I'd ever miss seeing your annoying visage."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>There was a pause. There had been a lot of these silences in their conversations these past days. Then Even sighed. "Isak," he said pointedly, his voice still rough from the pain,"don't start this conversation again."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"I'm not."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Good. We don't need to talk about it."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Isak swallowed. "Maybe we do," he said.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Nei. You need to talk about it. That's a difference." Even sounded tired. "I don't want to talk about it."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"I know."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Then don't start, please."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Isak sighed, and laid back down onto the ground, staring at the ceiling, knowing that Even was doing the exact same thing at this very moment; well, except for the fact that Even was staring at a different ceiling and trying to concentrate on everything but the pain burning through his body.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"I'll miss you," he said quietly after several minutes of staring into nothingness. He hadn't really meant for these words to come out of his mouth – hell, until a few days ago he hadn't even wanted to believe these words could be true – but then again, this might be his only chance to ever say them.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>There was another long silence; Isak couldn't even hear Even's breathing anymore, as if the man was holding his breath. "Yeah," he said eventually, and for the first time since The Incident Isak could have sworn he heard his voice crack with something like sadness. "I'll miss you, too." Then Even chuckled under his breath, "Oh, look at us, almost exchanging heartfelt confessions. It really would have been so much easier if you would have just gotten over yourself and kissed me."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Isak swallowed down the dry lump in his throat. "Even," he began, but was interrupted.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Just kidding."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The thing with the 'just kiddings' was, Isak thought, that there was always a grain of truth in it, a spark of the reflection of the person's actual desires. "It wouldn't have worked," he murmured. "You know that."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Nei, I don't know that."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Isak sighed. "You heard Sana. Only true love can break the spell, blah blah. She wasn't talking about just kissing anyone and you'd get out." He bit his lip and twisted and untwisted his fingers nervously, like he always did when he felt uncomfortable. And he did; Even was good at that, making him feel uncomfortable. He was also very good at making him feel comfortable, but that was not the point right now. "I don't love you, Even."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He could hear Even draw in a sharp breath, and then letting it out slowly. "I know."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Its shouldn't be so painful to hear and say this, Isak thought.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>All of a sudden, Even gasped in pain, and Isak scrambled forwards. "Even?" he asked, panicked. "What is it?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Nothing," the boy rasped. "I'm fine. Just...moved and that hurt like a bitch."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>There was something off about his voice, Isak could tell. He was about to call him out on it when he noticed that the pattern of the cracks had changed. He could have sworn that there hadn't been that many small cracks before. The realisation filled him with cold dread. "Even," he whispered, his throat dry. "They are spreading again, aren't they?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Even groaned almost inaudibly. "Ja."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"They are spreading," Isak repeated. "Why are they spreading? I didn't do anything!"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Doesn't matter. We knew it wouldn't last forever. It's not that bad. I can manage. I'm just cold."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"I never thought I'd tell you this, but you're a horrible liar," Isak said dryly.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Suddenly, an idea popped up in his head. He didn't know where it came from, hell, he certainly didn't know whether it would work at all, but he distinctly remembered Sana doing the same thing when first inspecting the damage, and if he remembered correctly, Even hadn't minded; in fact, he had relaxed – until her failed attempt at fixing the glass, that was. Then again, that had been Sana, not him. Isak hesitated, biting his lip. He had never really been the kind of person to trust his instincts – he preferred to rationalise things and ponder them thoroughly before making a decision, but this was not a normal situation. There was nothing to rationalise.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>So, Isak thought 'to hell with this' and leant forwards. "Even?" he asked tentatively. "I'm gonna try something, okay?" He cleared his throat. "please don't freak out."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Slowly, he reached out and laid his hand on the hole in the mirror where the bookend had hit the glass, the centre of the damage.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Even drew in a sharp breath.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Isak flinched, considering whether or not he should pull his hands away again. "Does that hurt?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Nah," the man murmured. "It doesn't. Just...don't poke me, alright?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Um," Isak said, feeling stupid.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Thankfully, Even apparently sensed his uncertainty and discomfort. "It actually kind of helps," he said, sounding a little surprised himself, and that was why Isak believed him.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Does it?"</span>
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Yeah." And apparently, that was all he had to say about this topic, because he went on as if this little exchange had never happened, as if Isak didn't currently hold his hand over the mirror and consequently his wound. The only indicator was that his voice was a little more strained than before, and maybe that was why he was desperate to return to the topic they had been discussing previously.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"I know," Even repeated. "I know you're in love with Jonas. You don't have to feel sorry about that. Or about not being able to help me." He coughed and then hastily added. "Please don't throw anything at me for saying that again."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"I won't," Isak promised, grimacing. "You're wrong, though."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Isak, we've been over this. Stop torturing yourself about what happened. It's not-"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"That's not what I meant," Isak said softly. "I'm not in love with Jonas."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Even sighed. "It's nothing to be ashamed of, Isak. You don't have to deny it."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"I'm not denying it. I'm not in love with Jonas."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>And, for the first time in years, Isak thought, it was actually true. He was not in denial. He looked back at years and years of wanting nothing more than to spend time with Jonas, to be acknowledged by him, to make him happy, to have his adopted brother look at him the way he usually looked at the girls he went out with, and all the anger and pain and longing that had accumulate over all that time, and it was nothing more but a faint memory. A part of him wondered when he had actually managed to rid himself of these feelings. He had fought them long enough, and he had had dimmed them down to a minimum for a while now, but they had still been lingering there behind a very thin and easily breakable wall. Only a few weeks ago, the thought of Jonas and Eva had bothered him immensely. Now, there was no spark of jealousy whenever he saw them together or Jonas mentioned her name (which was often.) He actually managed to feel happy for them. Jonas seemed to have all he wanted, and that, strangely enough, was good enough for him. When he looked at Jonas now, he only saw his brother, with and a weak afterglow of what had been his unrequited crush. Nothing more.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Isak supposed he would have been relieved if he hadn't been so tired.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Not anymore," he added quietly, because somehow he felt like he had to explain himself to Even. "I mean, I used to. I've had a crush on him, like, forever. Sometimes I think it was because there was no one else around. He's kind of been the only boy my age I've ever had close contact with. It's hard to notice anyone else when he's around." He inhaled deeply. "Sometimes I think spent so much time thinking I was in love with him that I didn't really stop to look at it and figure it if I really was. I was just...so used to it. Like a habit, or something. I fought it so hard, but I was convinced nothing would ever really change." Isak shook his head. "Maybe I didn't want them to."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He could almost hear Even frown. "Why wouldn't you want them to?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Because I'm a coward," he said. "You were right, with everything you said. I was in love with him. I am gay. He, on the other hand, would have never reciprocated my feelings. So although I was able to confess my feelings to myself, it was also something I knew I had to keep secret. I never had to deal with my sexuality in that way, I never really had to face it, because I knew that a relationship with Jonas would never happen. I never had to even think about coming out, I never had to think about starting a relationship with anyone else, never actually had to worry about getting hurt. It was easier, that way, I suppose."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Well, that last part is debatable," Even huffed.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Isak snorted softly, but chose not to reply. "Do you think that maybe, if things had been different, if we had met under different circumstances, that we could have been friends?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Even hesitated for a moment. "We are friends, Isak," he replied slowly. "However fucked up that is, but we are."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Isak had to agree with him on that, but that was not what he had meant. "That doesn't answer my question." He swallowed. "You probably wouldn't have noticed me, and you wouldn't have been the kind of person I would have had the courage to talk to."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Even sighed. "You," he noted dryly, "are the most frustrating person I have ever met, and believe me, I have met a lot of people. But still...I can't help but think that, no matter what, regardless of how we would've met, or where, or when...I always would have liked you. And I always would have noticed you. Don't think for a moment that I wouldn't have."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Isak blushed, and was suddenly acutely aware of the fact that his hand was technically still on Even's wound, and that, at some point, his fingers had begun to brush over the cracks in what was supposed to be a soothing touch. He quickly pulled his hand away – and almost doubled over.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Even," he asked, trembling, "how are you feeling?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The mans confusion was almost palpable. "Pardon?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"The pain," Isak elaborated. "Is it getting better or worse, or is there no change?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Even took a moment to contemplate that. "I think it hurts a little less. It's hard to say, because it still hurts like hell, but it was worse before. Why?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Because either I'm losing my mind or the cracks that showed up a couple of minutes ago are retreating again." And really, they were. Isak could watch them shrink slowly, right before his eyes.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"O...kay," Even said slowly. "This is getting creepier by the second."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"I don't understand it," Isak said, but he thought that maybe he did. He wasn't sure whether he liked the theory the evidence suggested, but there was hardly any arguing against it. Recalling the day, it seemed to be fairly obvious. The cracks had started to spread when Isak had told Even he didn't love him. Now that they had admitted they liked each other, it seemed that he was healing a little bit.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>This was either a very cruel joke, or a way out.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Neither possibility was particularly comforting.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He really wasn't sure whether he liked where this was going, yet it occurred to him that maybe this was his chance to make things right, to fix his mistake. Maybe he should put his issues on hold for a while. And he was forced to admit that Even had been right; it couldn't get any worse. It was worth a shot, and he should just man up and stop whining, because this might not be what he expected his life to be like, what he had wanted it to be like, but there were more pressing matters at hand. If he could save Even, then this was a little price to pay.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Isak cleared his throat and shifted nervously. "Even," he said hesitantly, "can you stand?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Even huffed. "I could try, but I don't see why I should."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Try. please."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Yeah, Nei, Takk. Unless you tell me why. I don't think you need to inspect my wounds again, even if that gives you the perfect opportunity to ogle at me."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Isak took a deep breath and reminded himself that he actually liked Even, despite being pretty much a pain in the ass, and that the fact that his humour was returning was most likely a good sign. "Because I'm going to do what I should have done to begin with when you first asked me to," he replied almost brusquely. "I am going to kiss you."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Sorry for the long wait! University was a real mess and I'm late in all my psychology courses lmaoo. Now we are back in quarantine, every things is so stressfull I'm scared to fail and if I fail I will probably never be able to be accepted in the Master degree I want so I have forgotten my fictions, I'm so sorry but I won't abandon any of them!! Don't worry! I have decided to post  this chapter and the last one as a "pls forgive me for the long wait' gift.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. frihet</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>For a long time, there was no reaction at all from Even. So long, in fact, that Isak began to worry that he might have triggered a heart attack.</p>
<p>Isak cleared his throat. "Even?" he asked tentatively.</p>
<p>He heard the man shift, and his shoulders relaxed immediately. "Where is this coming from all of a sudden?" Even's voice was wary.</p>
<p>Isak shrugged, until it occurred to him that Even couldn't even see him. "No idea. Seems like the right thing to do."</p>
<p>"Isak," Even said sharply. "We are in this mess because, a couple of days ago, you couldn't imagine kissing me. And now you want to do it? Just like that?"</p>
<p>"I think I was wrong," Isak admitted quietly. "I think maybe it will help."</p>
<p>Even groaned in exasperation. "Could you just make up your fucking mind?"</p>
<p>"I have."</p>
<p>"Nei, I don't think so. Now you're just having a little pity fest over there. I told you, you don't have to keep blaming yourself or trying to find a way out. It's okay."</p>
<p>"I'm not doing this as some sort of atonement," Isak snapped. "It's the logical thing to do. The cracks retreated when we admitted we cared about each other. Maybe kissing you will help to at least fix you up."</p>
<p>"Yeah, and they spread when you told me you didn't love me, which is true. If you kiss me and don't mean it, won't it make things worse?" Even countered.</p>
<p>Isak hadn't thought about that.</p>
<p>"Then again," Even sighed, "it's not like we can do any more damage, I suppose." Then he snickered. </p>
<p>Isak cleared his throat, again. "You might want to get up before I panic and change my mind," he mumbled.</p>
<p>He could hear Even shift and scramble on the other side, and guessed he was sitting up. "Are you sure you want to do this?"</p>
<p>Isak groaned. "If you keep asking, I might become unsure. Or I might punch you. Again. Sort of. So I'd say the best thing would be for you to stand the fuck up and get your ass over here."</p>
<p>"Ja, Sir," Even mocked half-heartedly, and Isak could tell that the movements he had made so far, even if they were only minor once, had already exhausted him.</p>
<p>"Please tell me you can get up."</p>
<p>Even huffed. "I'm working on it."</p>
<p>He didn't sound too annoyed, just sort of frustrated. Isak didn't dwell on that. He was too busy trying to suppress the nervousness that was slowly but surely creeping up on him.</p>
<p>"Even, you said you were feeling better," Isak accused him, but he didn't achieve sounding angry in the slightest. All he could manage was horror and fear.</p>
<p>"In that case I don't even want to imagine what I looked like before," Even snorted. "Because I am. Feeling better, that is. I might actually hold up a little longer now. Possibly even until Sana finds something so you don't have to-"</p>
<p>Isak cut him off, then, in the only effective way he could think of that did not involve throwing things at him. It was a very stupid and cliché thing to do, he thought later, and probably would have worked for a scene right out of these ridiculous romance novels Eva was, according to Jonas, addicted to, but it did take Even by surprise, and would technically, had he been actually standing in front of him, have cut off his air supply and impeded him to say another word, so he guessed he couldn't really argue against the method's efficiency.</p>
<p>For a moment, Isak just felt the coldness of the glass against his lips. In this brief second, a strange disappointment flooded him, and anger at himself for his stupidity, thinking that this might help.</p>
<p>And then something shifted.</p>
<p>At first, he thought the surface had merely warmed under his skin and breath. Then, after a blink, he realised that there was something else. In fact, the material flared almost hot and Isak heard Even draw in a deep breath with a hiss. He wanted to jerk back; every instinct told him to step away as quickly as possible, to put a distance between him and a magically cursed and potentially dangerous object, but there was something else that made him stay put: For a beat, he was almost a hundred percent sure that he had felt the barrier between them slipping away. Just for a second, he thought, he had felt Even's lips on his own, soft and pliant and the exact opposite of the hard and unyielding glass.</p>
<p>So he remained still, unmoving, and tried to shut down his brain and not think about how utterly ridiculous this was. So what? He wasn't doing this for him, he was doing this for Even, so he figured his pride and shame could shut the fuck up for a minute.</p>
<p>The heat flared up once more, almost violently, and then, all of a sudden, it retreated. He could still feel it radiating from one single spot, about the height were he suspected Even's wound would be, the heat penetrating even his closing and making his skin prickle.</p>
<p>For some reason, he wasn't afraid of being burnt.</p>
<p>And then there were a hundred different and more important things to think about, because he distinctly felt something move, and this time he was absolutely sure he was not imagining things. One moment, his lips were definitely pressed against the glass and the next moment they suddenly weren't. It was as if the surface had mellowed and then slowly started to disperse underneath him, like it was nothing more than a wall of fog that could easily be crossed. Even's lips were pressed against his, and then the man shifted slightly and leaned forwards, into the kiss and it wasn't just his lips that Isak could feel anymore. A strand of the man's blond hair tickled the skin of Isak's cheek, his breath was fanning over his lips and holy shit, he could taste Even.</p>
<p>Out of reflex, he brought his hand up to Even's neck to tug him forwards, closer to him, making Even stumble towards him. He almost would have lost his balance and fallen, but Isak simply took a step back with him and Even's arms found their way around his waist, stabilising them both.</p>
<p>In a very, very far corner of his mind, it occurred to Isak that he could probably let go now, break the kiss and step away, and that would be it. But Even was warm and solid and real against him and Isak found himself not wanting to let go at all. Maybe it was the fear of him slipping through his fingers again, maybe it was the euphoria of a successful plan lighting up inside him, or maybe it was a mix of both or something else entirely, but the result was all the same. He didn't let go, and Even didn't seem to mind in the slightest. Quite the contrary; he used the hold he had on Isak to bring their bodies closer together and opened his mouth further to run his tongue over Isak's lower lip, and, when Isak complied, slowly licked his way into his mouth.</p>
<p>He could have continued kissing Even for much longer, but at some point, when they had to break for air, the fact that years of being cursed and recently having been injured made itself known in a very unceremonious way. Even's knees wobbled and he nearly toppled over, causing Isak, who was not prepared for having a not-quite-as-lightweight-as-he-looked man collapsing in his arms, to stumble backwards until his knees hit the edge of his bed and he fell backwards, dragging Even down next to him.</p>
<p>There was a second of silence, and then Even began to giggle next to him, a soft sound that soon turned into full-on laughter, and Isak couldn't fight the grin that spread all over his face.</p>
<p>"Halla," Even said once he had calmed down. </p>
<p>"Halla," he murmured, still a little out of breath. </p>
<p>Isak shifted and turned his head so that he could have a closer look at him. For a moment, he was hit bit the astonishment that Even was actually, really lying next to him, staring at the ceiling with a weak but happy smile and so close that Isak wouldn't even really have to extend his hand in order to touch him. One of Even's hand was still clutched at his left side, and Isak assumed that his wound still hurt, but all in all, he looked much better than he had only five minutes ago; his skin had taken on a far more natural colour, although he was still a lot paler than he had used to be, and he still looked incredibly tired, but not s much that Isak feared he would pass out.</p>
<p>"How are you feeling?"</p>
<p>"Fucking awesome."</p>
<p>Isak felt his lips twitch. "Nice to know, but not what I meant."</p>
<p>"You mean aside from the indispensable euphoria and the contrastive sense of starvation and the dizziness that comes with it?" Even asked, and, when Isak nodded, contemplated his question seriously. "My side's still sore," he informed him, "but it doesn't really hurt anymore." He rucked up his shirt a little to inspect his torso. The black pattern drawn across his skin had turned into faint silver lines, almost invisible, like age-old scars. "I'm free. All in all, I think I'll be good."</p>
<p>I'm free.</p>
<p>The words hit Isak, and for a moment, the weight of tem knocked the breath right out of him again.</p>
<p>It occurred to him that he had never actually considered them succeeding a possibility. This had always been their goal, but he had never thought any further. He'd never thought about the troubles that might await them once Even was out and could do whatever the fuck he wanted.</p>
<p>Where would they go from here?</p>
<p>Isak was almost too scared to think about it, but he had to ask. He swallowed and cleared his throat, which suddenly seemed to be a lot drier than it had been before. "So," he began, going for casual and failing completely, "what do you plan to do next?"</p>
<p>Even shrugged. "Eating. Celebrating my freedom. Recovering. Go and crash on Sana's couch, once I feel up to walking, if she still has one. I'm not thinking about making big steps right now."</p>
<p>"Why would you go to Sana's?" Isak crunched his nose. "I mean...this house is yours."</p>
<p>Even snorted. "Right, because I can just stay in after a decade and a half and claim it back. You live here now. Besides," he added, "I'm not so sure whether I want to set foot into it ever again. Spending years on lock-down does quite a bit to ruin the appeal of a place."</p>
<p>"You could hide in your special closet," Isak joked weakly, drawing a startled laugh from Even's lips.</p>
<p>"Um, Takk, but I think I'd prefer some not-closed space for once."</p>
<p>Which was perfectly comprehensible, but it still made Isak feel like shit.</p>
<p>So this was it, then. Isak had to admit, he should have anticipated it. In the end, Even had always only seen him as a way out.</p>
<p>This was why he never made the effort to befriend anyone. Because they always ended up disappointing you. Hurting you. Leaving you.</p>
<p>He drew in a deep breath. "I'm not gonna see you again, am I?"</p>
<p>Even blinked. And then he blinked again. "You're kidding me, right?"</p>
<p>"Nei, I understand, I guess. I wou-hmpf."</p>
<p>Even had clamped his hand over his mouth, shutting him up. "For all your intelligence, Isak," he said, almost angrily, "sometimes you are really horribly thick."</p>
<p>Isak made a protesting noise, but it only came out muffled, so he reduced his efforts to make his irritation known to fixing Even with an icy glare.</p>
<p>"I want you to listen closely, and answer very honestly, because I'm only going to ask once. Understood?" Isak nodded, and Even drew back his hand. "Do you want me to stay?"</p>
<p>Isak swallowed. That was the million dollar question, wasn't it? And it was surprisingly easy to answer, as long as he didn't have to explain the reasons why.</p>
<p>He didn't trust his voice, so he simply nodded.</p>
<p>Even relaxed visibly and grinned. "Good," he said, rolling onto his back again, and a wave of relief flooded over Isak. "By the way, I think you should know by now that I'm not that easy to get rid of."</p>
<p>Isak grunted. "I can always resort to throwing books."</p>
<p>"Sorry, kitten, but that won't work that well once I can use all my super awesome powers again," Even laughed. "I might just haunt your ass the rest of your life."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>End</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Here's the very last chapter of this fiction. I hope you enjoyed it! You can look at my other Evak fictions! xx</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hi! I hope you're enjoying It! Leave kudos plsss</p><p> Thankss :)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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